Longitudinal changes in macular retinal layer thickness in pediatric populations: Myopic vs non-myopic eyes

Knowledge of the normal in vivo thickness of the retina, and its individual layers in pediatric populations is important for diagnosing and monitoring retinal disorders, and for understanding the eye’s normal development and the impact of eye growth and refractive error such as myopia (short-sightedness) upon retinal morphology. In this prospective, observational longitudinal study, total retinal thickness (and individual retinal layer thickness) and the changes in retinal morphology occurring over an 18-month period were examined in 101 children with a range of refractive errors. In childhood, the presence of myopia was associated with subtle but statistically significant (p