Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Relation to Age and Refractive Error

Abstract
Background: The choroid is a highly vascular structure and it undergoes structural and functional alterations with increasing age which may affect the visual function. In addition, choroidal thickness differs according to the state of refraction and axial length.
Aim of the Study: To correlate between the subfoveal choroidal thickness and various clinical data including age, error of refraction, and best corrected visual acuity.
Patients and Methods: This cross sectional, non-randomized, non-controlled study was conducted on 124 eyes. Measurement of the subfoveal choroidal thickness was done using spectral domain optical coherence tomography in the Investigative and Laser Unit of the Ophthalmology Department of Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital.
Results: Results showed that thinner choroid was associ-ated with older age (r=–0.264, p-value=0.003) and myopic refraction (r=0.243, p-value=0.007), while thicker choroid was related to a better visual acuity (r=0.199, p-value=0.026). Also, there was no significant difference in choroidal thickness measurements by the two obsevers (p-value=0.161).
Conclusion: Older persons and eyes with myopic refraction have a thinner choroid. A thicker choroid is related to a better visual acuity. No inter-observer variation was found regarding choroidal thickness measurements.