2Department of Ophthalmology, Assoc. Prof., Hitit University Erol Olçok Education and Research Hospital, Çorum, Turkey
3Department of Ophthalmology, Assoc. Prof. M.D., Sincan Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
4Department of Ophthalmology, Asist. Prof., Hitit University Erol Olçok Education and Research Hospital, Çorum, Turkey DOI : 10.37845/ret.vit.2025.34.44 Purpose: To compare choroidal thickness (CT) and the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) between underweight children and agematched peers with normal body mass index (BMI), and to explore potential associations between BMI and choroidal parameters.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 72 children (35 underweight, 37 normal weight) who underwent enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). CT was measured at subfoveal, 1000 ?m nasal, and 1000 ?m temporal locations. Image binarization in ImageJ software was used to calculate total choroidal area (TCA), luminal area (LA), stromal area (SA), CVI (LA/TCA), and LA/SA ratio. Group comparisons and correlations between BMI and choroidal parameters were performed.
Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of age, sex, axial length, or intraocular pressure (p > 0.05). TCA, LA, and SA were significantly higher in underweight children than in controls (p < 0.001 for all), whereas CT, CVI, and LA/ SA ratios did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). BMI showed significant negative correlations with subfoveal CT (r = ?0.236, p = 0.040), TCA (r = ?0.457, p < 0.001), LA (r = ?0.414, p < 0.001), and SA (r = ?0.475, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Underweight children demonstrated increased choroidal structural areas (TCA, LA, SA), while CVI remained unchanged, suggesting a proportional increase in both vascular and stromal components. These findings indicate that BMI may influence choroidal structure, although the vascular-stromal balance appears to be preserved.
Keywords : body mass index, optical coherence tomography, choroid