2M.D. Asistant Professor, Sifa University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir/TURKEY
3M.D., Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir/TURKEY
4M.D. Asistant, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir/TURKEY
5M.D. Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital, Eye Clinic, Izmir/TURKEY
6M.D. Asistant Professor, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir/TURKEY
7M.D. Professor, Sifa University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir/TURKEY Purpose: To evaluate effect of age, sex and axial length on photoreceptor layer (PRL), retina pigment epithelium layer (RPEL) and choroid layer (CL) thicknesses in a population of healthy eyes, using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
Material and Methods: Seventy-one subjects with an age ranging between 16 and 65 years were examined with SD-OCT. Mean PRL, RPEL and CL thicknesses were measured at the fovea and 500 m, 1000 m, 2000 m distances from the fovea at nasal and temporal quadrants. Choroidal thickness was manually measured from the posterior edge of the retinal pigment epithelium to the choroid-scleral junction.
Results: Fourty-six (64.8%) of the patients were women, 25 (35.2%) were men. The mean age of the participants was 43.07±13.56 years (range, 16-65 years). The mean axial length was 23.28±0.74 mm (range, 21.18-24.76 mm). Macular PRL, RPEL and CL thicknesses showed no significant variations by sex, age, spherical equivalent and axial length (p>0.05). There were a statistically significant correlation between PRL and RPEL thicknesses at all quadrants.
Conclusion: Photoreceptor layer, RPEL and choroidal thicknesses had no significant correlation with age, sex and axial length. Prosepective studies with larger sample size are needed to assess the correlation between choroidal thickness and outer retinal layers.
Keywords : Optical coherence tomography, choroidal thickness, photoreceptor layer thikness, retina pigment epithelium layer thickness