Correlation between peripapillary choroidal thickness and retinal vessel oxygen saturation in young healthy individuals

• Published in: Acta ophthalmologica (Oxford, England) England), 2014-09, Vol.92 (s253), p.0-0
• Main Authors: VAN KEER, K, ABEGãO PINTO, L, WILLEKENS, K, STALMANS, I, VANDEWALLE, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ophthalmology
• ISSN: 1755-375X; 1755-3768
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2014.3473.x

Purpose To investigate the correlation between the peripapillary choroidal thickness (CT) and the retinal vessel oxygen saturation (SO2) in young healthy individuals. Methods Young healthy volunteers were recruited in this observational, cross‐sectional study. Peripapillary CT was obtained using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI‐OCT). Arterial (SaO2) and venous retinal oxygen saturation (SvO2) were measured by a noninvasive spectrophotometric retinal oximeter in all four quadrants. Spearman’s rank correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to determine relationships between choroidal thickness and oxymetric parameters. Results 54 eyes of 54 individuals aged 21.6±1.1 years were analyzed. Average SaO2 (92.3±3.0%) and SvO2 (55.4±4.6%) were positively correlated with the average peripapillary CT at 500µm from the optic disc margin (Spearmans’s R = 0.477 , p < 0.001 and 0.414 , p < 0.002 respectively). These results were confirmed to be independent of intraocular pressure and hemodynamic parameters on multivariate linear regression analysis (p < 0.01). Conclusion In young healthy individuals, retinal vessel oxygen saturation appears to be positively correlated with the peripapillary choroidal thickness.