Peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation at the crossroads of peripapillary myopic changes

AIM: To analyze the prevalence of peripapillary intra-choroidal cavitation (PICC) in eyes with gamma peripapillary atrophy (γPPA), in eyes with peripapillary staphyloma (PPS) and in those combining γPPA and PPS and to analyze border tissue discontinuity in PICC. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional non interventional study included highly myopic eyes. Non-highly myopic eyes were used as control. Radial and linear scans centered on the optic nerve head were performed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Variables were analyzed along the twelve hourly optical coherence tomography sections in both eyes of each subject. RESULTS: A total of 667 eyes of 334 subjects were included: 229 (34.3%) highly myopic eyes and 438 (65.7%) non highly myopic eyes. The mean age of the highly myopic group was 48.99±17.81y. PICC was found in a total of 40 eyes and in 13.2% (29/220) of highly myopic eyes. PICC was found in 10.4% (40/386) of eyes with γPPA, in 20.5% (40/195) of eyes with PPS and in 22.7% (40/176) of those combining γPPA and PPS. All the eyes with PICC showed the co-existence of γPPA and PPS whereas none of the eyes presenting only one of these entities exhibited PICC. A border tissue discontinuity in the γPPA area was found in all eyes with PICC. CONCLUSION: We confirm the presence of a border tissue discontinuity in the γPPA area of all eyes with PICC. These findings suggest the involvement of mechanical factors in the pathogenesis of PICC which may contribute to PICC-related visual field defects.