Relationship Between Choroidal Thickness and Choroidal Circulation in Healthy Young Subjects

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the choroidal thickness and choroidal blood flow in healthy young subjects.

Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Methods: We examined 25 eyes of 25 healthy young Japanese subjects. The subfoveal choroidal thickness was measured by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). The total choroidal blood flow and subfoveal choroidal blood flow were evaluated by pulsatile ocular blood flow using Langham OBF computerized tonometry and the choroidal blood flow using laser Doppler flowmetry. The refractive error, intraocular pressure, and axial length were also measured.

Results: The mean refractive error was -3.4 ± 3.1 diopters, mean intraocular pressure 15.3 ± 1.7 mm Hg, and axial length 25.4 ± 2.0 mm. The subfoveal choroidal thickness was correlated positively (r = 0.785, P < .01) with the refractive error and negatively (r = -0.735, P < .001) with the axial length. No significant correlation was found between the subfoveal choroidal thickness and the pulsatile ocular blood flow or choroidal blood flow.

Conclusion: Our results suggested that there were no significant correlations between the subfoveal choroidal thickness and the total choroidal blood flow and the subfoveal choroidal blood flow in healthy young subjects; however, decreased subfoveal choroidal thickness was associated with decreased refractive error and axial length.