Longitudinal Changes in Choroidal Thickness in Children with a History of Prematurity: An 18-month Prospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE:To evaluate choroidal changes over time in school-aged children with a history of prematurity. METHODS:A study of 416 eyes, including 88, 190, 36, 56, and 46 eyes in the full-term control, preterm, spontaneously regressed retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB)-treated ROP, and laser-treated ROP groups, respectively. The choroidal thickness was measured 4 times at 6-month intervals by optical coherence tomography. RESULTS:Of all the groups, the laser-treated children had the thinnest choroid compared with full-term children (-52.3 μm, P = .04). Preterm children exhibited greater attenuation in choroidal thickness over time than did full-term children (-6.3 ± 26.9 and -1.1 ± 12.8 μm/year, P = .03), whereas no difference was observed between IVB and laser treatments (-4.6 ± 18.9 and -2.0 ± 15.7 μm/year, P = .46). In all groups, the changes in axial length were negatively associated with the changes in choroidal thickness (all P < .05). CONCLUSION:A greater attenuation in choroid thickness over time was observed in preterm children than in full-term children, but this attenuation did not differ between IVB and laser treatments. Axial elongation was associated with choroidal thinning in school-aged children.