Characteristics of the peripapillary structure and vasculature in patients with myopic anisometropia

Abstract Background To evaluate the interocular differences of the peripapillary structural and vascular parameters and that of association with axial length (AL) in participants with myopic anisometropia using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods This prospective cross-sectional study included 88 eyes of 44 participants. Eyes were classified into the longer and the shorter eye group according to ALs. The β- and γ-parapapillary atrophy (PPA) areas, Bruch’s membrane opening distance (BMOD), border length (BL), and border tissue angle (BTA) were measured manually. MATLAB software determined peripapillary choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and choroidal thickness (CT) values in superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal. Results The interocular difference in spherical equivalent (SE) was highly correlated with that of the AL. The β- and γ-PPA areas, BMOD, and BL were greater in longer eyes. The mean and inferior peripapillary CVI and the mean, superior, and inferior peripapillary CT were lower in the longer eye group. The interocular difference in AL was significantly positively correlated with the γ-PPA area and BL and negatively correlated with the temporal CVI and mean, inferior, and temporal peripapillary CT. There was an independent correlation between the interocular differences in AL and the γ-PPA area, inferior and temporal peripapillary CT. Conclusions Significant differences between both groups were detected in most peripapillary parameters. The γ-PPA area, BL, and peripapillary CVI and CT were sensitively affected by the elongation of AL. The characteristics of peripapillary parameters may be useful in the prediction of AL elongation.