Quantification of choroidal hyperreflective layer: A swept-source optical coherence tomography study

PURPOSE: To investigate variation in reflectivity of choroidal layers in normal eyes. METHODS: From the swept-source optical coherence tomography database, we retrospectively included eyes with a normal fundus. Choroidal reflectivity was measured on the horizontal and vertical B-scan optical coherence tomography images. The optical barrier of the choroid was defined as the first hill in the middle of the reflectance graph from the retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch’s membrane complex to the chorioscleral junction. RESULTS: The optical barrier of the choroid was identified in 91 eyes of 91 individuals. The amplitude of peak reflectivity of the optical barrier of the choroid at macular center (142.85 ± 15.04) was greater than those in superior (136.12 ± 14.08) or inferior macula (135.30 ± 16.13) (P = 0.028, P = 0.008, respectively). Latency between the peak of the retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch’s membrane complex and the optical barrier of the choroid at macular center (48.11 ± 13.78 μm) was shorter than those in nasal macula (55.58 ± 19.21 μm) (P = 0.021). The amplitude of the peak reflectivity of the optical barrier of the choroid in the center negatively correlated with the latency between the retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch’s membrane complex and the optical barrier of the choroid (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: An optical barrier exists in the inner choroid of the normal eye. Its depth depends on the location within the macula. Further studies are mandatory to evaluate variations in the barrier in the eyes with chorioretinal disease.