Posterior Precortical Vitreous Pocket in Children

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the profile of posterior precortical vitreous pocket (PPVP) in children using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to compare the profile with that of adults.Materials and methods: In this retrospective comparative study, the height at the fovea and the horizontal diameter of PPVP in healthy children and adults in the upright position were measured based on OCT (Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany) images. PPVP diameter was divided into nasal length and temporal length based on the center of the fovea. The proportion of temporal length to the entire horizontal diameter was calculated as temporal length/horizontal diameter of PPVP. The association of age with the height and the proportion of temporal length to the entire horizontal diameter were evaluated in each group. The two values were also compared between the two groups.Results: Sixty-three eyes of 63 children (mean age: 6.9 ± 1.8 years) and 44 eyes of 44 young adults (mean age: 32.1 ± 5.3 years) were included. The height of PPVP at the fovea was 355.3 ± 80.3 µm in children and 367.8 ± 75.6 µm in adults. The proportion of temporal length to the entire horizontal diameter was 0.45 ± 0.05 and 0.50 ± 0.03. The proportion was significantly greater in adults than in children (p < 0.001), whereas the height (p = 0.349) was not different between the two groups. In children, there was a positive association between the age and the proportion of temporal length to the entire horizontal diameter (p = 0.001).Conclusion: The results suggest a progressive temporal extension of PPVP during childhood.