Comparative evaluation of choroidal thickness in children using different myopia correction methods

AIM: To measure choroidal thickness in the cross-sectional images of myopic patients using different correction methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Examination included 162 patients (324 eyes) aged 9 to 19 years (mean: 11.6 ± 2.7 years), with myopia between 0.5 D to 11.75 D (mean: 4.0 ± 2.3 D) using different myopia correction methods, e.g., monofocal spectacles (MF): 96 eyes, Group 1), perifocal spectacles (40 eyes, Group 2), orthokeratology lenses (OKL) (36 eyes, group 3), bifocal soft contact lenses (BSCL) (86 eyes, Group 4), and Stellest® spectacles (66 eyes, Group 5). The anterior-posterior axis and subfoveal choroidal thickness (non-cycloplegic), and cycloplegic autorefraction were measured in all patients. RESULTS: In general, choroidal thickness (CT) and CT to the anterior-posterior axis (CT/APA) ratios were 328.6 ± 15.6 μm and 12.9 ± 0.6 in OKL wearers, 298.8 ± 9.4 μm and 12.2 ± 0.4 in Stellest® wearers, 267.4 ± 8.3 μm and 10.8 ± 0.3 in BSCL wearers, and 264.6 ± 12.4 μm and 10.4 ± 0.5 in perifocal spectacles wearers, respectively. The lowest CT and CT/APA ratios were in the monofocal group (241.9 ± 5.3 μm and 9.5 ± 0.2, respectively). The difference in these parameters between the monofocal and other groups was statistically significant (р 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study of the cross-sectional images convincingly demonstrates significantly greater choroidal thickness in myopic patients using optical correction methods imposing myopic defocus on the retinal periphery, compared to monofocal spectacles.