Ultra-widefield swept-source OCT angiography assessment of choroidal changes in Chinese myopic adults.

PURPOSE: To characterize region-specific choroidal alterations in Chinese young adults with varying refractive errors using ultra-widefield SS-OCTA (UWF SS-OCTA).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 218 eyes from 109 participants underwent UWF SS-OCTA. Eyes were stratified by spherical equivalent (SE): low (LM), moderate (MM), and high myopia (HM). Choroidal thickness (CT), choriocapillaris vessel density (CCVD), and Sattler-Haller layer vessel density (SHVD) were quantified across nine subfields.

RESULTS

HM eyes showed significant CT reductions across all nine subfields and SHVD reductions in six subfields (all p < 0.05). Across groups, CT was thickest centrally and thinnest inferonasally; CCVD was lowest centrally; SHVD peaked superotemporally. CT correlated negatively with axial length (AL) in eight subfields and positively with SE in seven. SHVD correlated negatively with AL in seven subfields and positively with SE in six. CT and SHVD were positively correlated in six subfields. No significant associations were found for CCVD.

CONCLUSION

Region-specific reductions in CT and SHVD occurred with increasing AL. Topographic patterns-central CT thickening, inferonasal thinning, central CCVD minima, and superotemporal SHVD maxima-were preserved across myopia severities. Both CT and SHVD showed significant negative correlations with AL.