Choroidal Thickness in Emmetropia: An Enhanced Depth Imaging Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Study

OBJECTIVES: To investigate and determine the choroidal thickness (CT) in healthy emmetropic Turkish subjects aged between 20 and 40 years using Enhanced Depth Imaging Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (EDI-OCT). METHODS: This study included 194 eyes of 194 healthy emmetropic subjects. All participants underwent a detailed ophthalmologic examination. Axial length (AL) was measured with optical biometry. CT measurements were performed at subfoveal, 1.0 mm temporal, and 1.0 mm nasal using the EDI-OCT. Central macular thickness (CMT) measurements were also performed at the same time. Participants were divided into two groups; Group 1 (age between 20 and 30 years) and Group 2 (age between 31 and 40 years). CT and CMT were compared among two groups. RESULTS: The mean age of all the subjects was 26.61±6.08 years, the mean AL was 23.44±0.72 mm, and the mean spherical equivalent was −0.11±0.28 Diopter. The mean subfoveal, nasal, and temporal CT was 389.27±86.61 μm, 354.54±86.86 μm, and 368.25±78.69 μm, respectively. Subfoveal and nasal CT of female participants were found thinner than male participants (p=0.013 and p=0.008, respectively). CT and CMT were found similar between Group 1 and Group 2. CONCLUSION: This study showed that mean subfoveal CT and CMT was 389.27±86.61μm and 268.17±18.76 μm, respectively, among healthy emmetropic Turkish subjects. Females had thinner CT in subfoveal and nasal quadrants. In addition, age did not affect CT between 20 and 40 years.