Variation of peripapillary scleral shape with age

PURPOSE. To define the shape of the anterior surface of the peripapillary sclera (PPS) and evaluate its relationship with age and ocular determinants in a population-based Chinese cohort. METHODS. The optic nerve heads of 619 healthy Chinese subjects were imaged with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. To assess the shape of the PPS/Bruch’s membrane (BM), we measured the angle between a line parallel to the nasal anterior PPS/BM boundary and one parallel to the temporal side. A negative value indicated that the PPS/BM followed an inverted v-shaped configuration (peak pointing toward the vitreous), whereas a positive value indicated that it followed a v-shaped configuration (peak pointing toward the orbital tissues). A linear regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between the PPS angle and other ocular parameters. RESULTS. The mean PPS angle was 3.68° ±6.73° and the BM angle was 9.69° ±5.05°. The PPS angle increased on average by 0.233 deg/y. A v-shaped PPS was significantly associated with age (β = 0.087, P = 0.004), peripapillary choroidal thickness (β = 0.479, P < 0.001), lamina cribrosa depth (β = 0.307, P < 0.001), and BM angle (β = 0.487, P < 0.001) after adjusting for best corrected visual acuity, central corneal thickness, and axial length. CONCLUSIONS. The anterior surface of PPS of an elderly adult population had a v-shaped configuration and was more pronounced with increasing age, thin peripapillary choroid, and a deep cup. Such a change in shape with age could have an impact on the biomechanical environment of the optic nerve head.