Comparison of Deep Optic Nerve Head Structures and Optic Disc Morphology in Unilateral Peripapillary Intrachoroidal Cavitation.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To compare background characteristics, deep optic nerve head (ONH) structures, and optic disc morphology in participants with unilateral peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation (PICC).

Design

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Participants

One hundred six eyes of 53 participants with unilateral PICC determined on OCT.

Methods

Twelve ONH-centered OCT radial slices were used to manually measure Bruch membrane opening (BMO) area, BMO ovality, scleral flange opening (SFO) area, SFO ovality, and SFO/BMO offset magnitude which represents the degree of SFO/BMO centroid displacement and clinically corresponds to the peripapillary atrophy-gamma and delta zones. Optic disc tilt, rotation, area, and longest and shortest diameters were measured from line scanning laser ophthalmoscopy images.

Main outcome measures

Paired t tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare background characteristics and obtained parameters between PICC eyes and their contralateral eyes. False discovery rate was controlled using the Benjamini-Hochberg method to account for multiple comparisons.

Results

Peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation eyes showed significantly larger BMO area (P < 0.001) and its ovality (P = 0.020), larger SFO area (P = 0.003), larger SFO/BMO offset magnitude (P = 0.007), greater optic disc tilt (P < 0.001), and smaller optic disc shortest diameter (P = 0.010). There was no significant difference in axial length (AL) (P = 0.081) and optic disc rotation (P = 0.067).

Conclusions

Although AL was similar between PICC eyes and their contralateral eyes, significant intereye differences in deep ONH structures and optic disc morphology were observed. Peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation eyes exhibited a more elliptically expanded BMO, larger SFO, greater SFO/BMO misalignment, and greater optic disc tilt, which are structural changes associated with border tissue elongation. Our findings indicate a strong association between the presence of PICC and myopia-related characteristic deep ONH remodeling, providing a foundation for understanding structural abnormalities in myopic eyes.

Financial disclosures

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

SUBMITTER: Akiyama K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12902140 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature