Peripapillary Atrophy in High Myopia

Purpose: To evaluate peripapillary atrophy (PPA) in high myopia (HM) as a function of extent of myopia, axial length (AL), and age.

Methods: Medical records from patients (n = 88) seen in the Ophthalmology Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, and diagnosed with high myopia (HM)-defined as spherical equivalent (SE) of >6.00 diopters (D) of myopia in either eye-were included in this study. Eyes were classified according to SE and age. For the SE classification, individual eyes (n = 169) were arranged as follows: groups A1 (SE -6.00to -9.00D), A2 (-9.25 to -16.50D), and A3 (-16.75 to -27.00D). For the age classification, eyes (n = 154) were arranged as follows: groups B1 (5-18 years old), B2 (18.1-40 years old), and B3 (40.1-69 years old). Outcome measures included correlation of areas of optic nerve head (ONH), PPA, and peripapillary chorioretinal atrophy (PCA) with SE, age, and AL. Morphological parameters were measured using the 1000-edition program of 3D-OCT 2000 ( http://eyecare.topcon.com.cn/index.php?optionid = 748&autoid = 8 ) clinical auto-analyzer module.

Results: Average areas-ONH (PPA, PCA)-in groups A1, A2, and A3 were 1.95 (2.05, 0.42), 2.42 (4.44, 1.39), and 2.52 (7.19, 3.64) mm², respectively; average areas were 1.99 (1.40, 0.03), 2.49 (4.68, 1.92), and 2.28 (5.99, 2.78) mm² in groups B1, B2, and B3, respectively. There were statistically significant differences among groups A1, A2, and A3 (F = 6.03, 18.91, 13.86, all p < 0.01), and among B1, B2, and B3 (F = 5.46, 21.89, 13.06, all p < 0.01). ONH correlated only with SE (r = -0.30, p < 0.01). PPA and PCA correlated with SE, age, and AL (PPA: r = -0.53, 0.47, 0.61; PCA: r = -0.42, 0.46, 0.48; all p < 0.01).

Conclusions: PPA and PCA correlated with SE, age, and AL; ONH correlated with SE, may be with age.