Normative Study to Correlate the Effects of Morphological Variables on Macular and Choroidal Thickness Using SD-OCT

Abstract

To determine macular and choroidal thickness in healthy north Indian eyes and determine its variation with age and height using SD-OCT. The macula of 400 randomly selected healthy subjects (800 eyes) with no retinal and choroidal pathology was imaged with Cirrus SD-OCT. Macular thickness from all 9 regions of Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study was evaluated. Choroid was visualized by enhanced depth imaging technique. Choroidal thickness was measured sub foveally and at 500 microns intervals upto 1500 microns temporal and nasal to the fovea. The mean age of the subjects was 33.60 years ± 14.033 and mean height was 163.5 cms ± 11.715. Mean central macular thickness (CMT) was 242.59 µm ± 16.802 and mean sub foveal choroidal thickness was 325.18 µm ± 47.087. CMT correlated significantly (Pearson's correlation coefficient) with age (r=0.120, p<0.001) and height (r=0.258, p<0.001). Choroidal thickness decreased with age and the correlation was statistically significant. Choroidal thickness also decreased with height with a statistically significant correlation, but no specific pattern was found. This normative database of choroidal and macular thickness by OCT will serve as baseline for diagnosing retinal pathologies and help in future research.