Morphologic Features of the Choroidoscleral Interface in a Healthy Population Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the morphologic features of the choroidoscleral interface in a healthy population using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS OCT). DESIGN: Retrospective data analysis of a subgroup of eyes from a previous single-center, prospective, cross-sectional, noninterventional study. METHODS: A total of 276 healthy eyes from 154 subjects were evaluated using SS OCT. Inclusion criteria were best-corrected visual acuity between 20/20 and 20/25, spherical equivalent between +/- 3 diopters, and no systemic or ocular diseases. Two independent investigators analyzed the morphologic features of the choroidoscleral interface in a masked fashion, classifying the contour and shape as concave (bowl-shaped) or inflective (S-shaped contour with >= 1 inflection point). RESULTS: The presence of a temporal choroidoscleral interface inflection was identified in 12.8% of the eyes. The mean choroidal thickness was 372.1 +/- 76.8 mu m and the average distance from the inflection point to the fovea was 4427.3 +/- 627.9 mu m. Nine patients showed an inflective profile in both eyes. No changes in the retinal profile were found in any of these cases. The mean age of the patients with an inflective profile was 16 +/- 19 years (range 4-82) vs 36 +/- 25 years (range 3-95) in the group with a concave contour (P=.001). The temporal choroidal thickness at 4000 and 5000 mu m from the fovea was thicker in the group with a concave contour. CONCLUSIONS: Temporal choroidoscleral interface inflection or S-shaped profile of the choroidoscleral interface with focal thinning of the choroid can be considered a normal variation without clinical significance, especially in younger populations. (C) 2015 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.