title: Characterization of Choroidal Morphologic and Vascular Features in Young Men With High Myopia Using Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe detailed morphologic and vascular features of the choroid in eyes with high myopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 515 eyes of young men (mean age 21.59 ± 1.15 years) with high myopia (defined as -6.0 diopter [D] or worse, mean spherical equivalent -8.66 ± 2.00 D) and 88 controls with emmetropia in both eyes underwent choroidal imaging using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging (EDI-OCT). Raw OCT images were loaded on a custom-written application on MATLAB that enabled delineation for detailed morphologic and vascular analyses, including the distance of thickest point from the foveal center, choroidal thickness, choroidal volume, choroidal vascular and stromal areas within the macular (6 mm) and foveal (1.5 mm) regions, and choroidal vascularity, which was determined by dividing vascular area by total choroidal area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The choroid in high myopic eyes was thickest temporally compared to subfoveal location in emmetropic subjects (thickest point distance from fovea: -1.51 ± 1.42 mm vs -0.53 ± 1.06 mm, P < .001). In eyes with high myopia, after adjusting for age, choroidal vascular and stromal areas were significantly lower (vascular area: β = -0.306, stromal area: β = -0.377, both P < .001) than control eyes with emmetropia at the macular region. Compared to control eyes with emmetropia, choroidal vascularity was greater in eyes with high myopia (β = 0.032, P < .001). Similar results were observed for the subfoveal region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that choroidal thinning in eyes with high myopia is associated with the reduction in both its stromal and vascular components.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute and Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute and Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Sri Gowtham
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Thakku
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute and Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Seang-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
authors.affiliation: DSO National Laboratories, Defense Medical and Environmental Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Mellisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Vision Performance Centre, Military Medical Institute, Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Vision Performance Centre, Military Medical Institute, Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute and Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chui Ming Gemmy
authors.initials: CMG
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute and Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Tien-Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute and Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address: ching-yu_cheng@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Ching-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009929:Organ Size; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult