Choroidal, macular and ganglion cell layer thickness assessment in Caucasian children measured with spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Purpose: To study the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), macular ganglion cell layer (GCL-IPL) and central macular thickness (CMT) in Caucasian children, and to analyze these optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters depending on the spherical equivalent (SE). Methods: Cross-sectional study of SFCT, GCL-IPL, and CMT in Caucasian children, analyzed with spectral-domain OCT Cirrus 5000 and Enhanced-depth imaging technique. Correlation between these three OCT parameters, age, sex, and spherical equivalent was analyzed. The eyes were classified into three groups: group 1 included eyes with SE < 0, group 2 included eyes with SE between 0 and +2.00, and group 3 eyes with SE > +2.00. Results: Hundred ninety-eight eyes of 121 subjects were studied. The mean age was 9.22 years (range 3–16); 61.1% were female. The mean SFCT was 351.04 ± 84.08 µm, being 310.04 ± 82.84µm in group 1 (n = 62), 373.14 ± 83.16 µm in group 2 (n = 71) and 365.18 ± 73.16 µm in group 3 ( n = 65); statistically significant differences were found between groups 2 and 3, compared with group 1. GCL-IPL thickness was significantly thinner ( p < 0.001) in group 1, compared with group 3. There were no statistically significant differences between the three groups regarding CMT. Correlation with age, and sex was not found. Conclusions: SFCT and GCL-IPL thickness were significantly thinner ( p < 0.001) in myopic children when compared with a non-myopic pediatric population. However, it seems that there is not a correlation among the three OCT parameters studied, age and sex, when they are analyzed depending on refractive error.