Macular Structures and Microcirculation in Posterior Staphyloma with Young High Myopia

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Methods A total of 135 eyes from 135 participants were included. The HM patients were divided into no PS (NPS) and PS groups. The macular structures and microcirculation parameters were acquired using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Linear regression and pearson’s correlation analysis were used to determine the relationships among measurements. Results The macular area was divided into foveal, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal regions. The superior and inferior retinal thickness in the PS group decreased significantly in the NPS and PS groups. This study demonstrated a correlation between retinal vascular density (RVD), age, refraction, axial length (AL) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in the two groups. The temporal RVD decreased significantly with the increase of AL (beta = -0.603; P = 0.026) in the NPS group. The fovea AL increased significantly with the increase of retinal thickness (RT) (beta = 3.916; P = 0.036) in the NPS group. The RVD decreased significantly with the increase of inferior refraction (beta = -0.42; P = 0.033) in the PS group. The temporal RVD decreased significantly with the increase of AL (beta = -1.344; P = 0.038) in the PS group. The fovea RT increased significantly with the increase of AL (beta = 8.83; P = 0.007) in the PS group. The linear regression in NPS group showed the correlation between the RVD and RD in the macular fovea region (R = 0.42; P < 0.001). Conclusions The inferior retina may be particularly susceptible to RVD due to changes in scleral curvature and regional mechanical stress within the posterior segment of the HM. The posterior staphyloma exacerbates retinal thinning and vascular density reduction in specific regions, potentially contributing to the progression of retinal dysfunction in patients with high myopia. high myopia posterior staphyloma axial length macular structures microcirculation Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Introduction High myopia is increasingly recognized as a significant global health concern due to its rising prevalence and association with severe ocular complications, most notably posterior staphyloma (PS)[ 1 , 2 ]. The PS, distinguished by an outpouching of weakened scleral tissue in the posterior pole, serves as a hallmark complication of high myopia (HM), and often signals advanced pathological changes[ 3 , 4 ]. Typically classified as axial myopia with a refractive error exceeding − 6.0 diopters or an axial length (AL) greater than 26 mm, HM can cause progressive structural and functional damage to the retina, choroid, and optic nerve, thereby posing a considerable risk of vision loss[ 5 ]. The macula, essential for high-resolution visual function, is particularly susceptible in individuals with PS[ 2 ]. Based on Ohno-Matsui’s classi-fication[ 6 ], PS were differentiated into six types: I. the wide macular type, II. the narrow macular type, III. the parapapillary type, IV.the nasal type, V. the inferior type and VI. others. Eyes with the ocular wall that was in one flatcurvature were considered without PS. Structural changes in the macula, such as retinal thinning, alterations in the retinal pigment epithelium, or disruptions in retinal architecture, are frequently observed in highly myopic eyes[ 7 ]. Moreover, recent advancements in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) have enabled more detailed evaluations of macular structure and microcirculation, offering valuable insights into their connection to disease progression and visual impairment[ 8 , 9 ]. Microcirculation in highly myopic eyes represents a critical avenue for research, as choroidal perfusion and retinal blood flow are essential for maintaining retinal health. HM has been linked to microvascular abnormalities, including reduced choroidal thickness, compromised macular perfusion, and altered vessel density[ 10 – 13 ]. Nonetheless, the relationship between microcirculatory changes and the development of PS in young individuals remains poorly understood, particularly given the rapid disease progression often observed in this population. Despite advances in imaging technologies and clinical knowledge, significant gaps persist in understanding the connections among macular structural parameters, microcirculation, and PS in cases of young-onset HM. Bridging these gaps is crucial to enhance early diagnosis, assess the risk of disease progression, and develop precision-targeted therapeutic strategies. This study seeks to examine the macular structures and microcirculation features in young patients with HM and PS using OCT and OCTA. By integrating quantitative and qualitative data, we aim to offer new insights into the pathological mechanisms driving PS and its effects on macular function and blood flow within this distinctive patient population. Subjects This cross-sectional study received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University. All procedures adhered to the standards outlined in the Helsinki Declaration. A total of 135 eyes diagnosed with HM were recruited from Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University between July 2023 and March 2024 (Table 1 ). Inclusion criteria required participants to have a refractive error of ≤ − 6.00 diopters (D), AL ≥ 26 mm, and an age range of 22–37 years. Exclusion criteria included a history of intraocular surgery, the presence of any other ocular diseases or systemic vascular diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Study examinations and OCT/OCTA Image Acquisition Comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations were conducted on all HM patients, which included BCVA, noncontact intraocular pressure (IOP), spherical diopter measurements, and AL assessments (AL-Scan, NIDEK, Germany). Additional procedures included dilated fundus examinations (Fig. 1 ). SS-OCTA (OCT/OCTA, VG200S, SVision Imaging, China) has built-in axial length input and automatic magnification correction functions. During the examination process, after the researchers input the AL into the system, the device can automatically correct the x and y direction dimensions of the retinal image, thereby ensuring that the measurement results reflect the true retinal area. The formula for calculating the magnification of its fundus plane (xy direction) is: Magnification M = 0.0492 × axial length of the eye (AL) − 0.1818. Among them, the default reference axial length of the eye is set to 24.0mm, corresponding to a magnification of M = 1. The OCT/OCTA system utilized an SS laser with a central wavelength of approximately 1,050 nm and a scanning speed of 200,000 A-scans per second[ 14 ]. The scanning area measured 3 × 3 mm² and was centered on the macular region, which was further subdivided into foveal, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal zones (Fig. 2 ). The grading ofstaphylomas was done by an experienced examiner, and questionablecases were determined by a retinalspecialist. In this study, dry-type HM with posterior scleral staphyloma included the wide macular staph- yloma (type I). Statistical analysis Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 23.0, Chicago, IL, USA). Results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The independent samples t-test was employed for comparisons between the two groups. Linear regression and Pearson's correlation analysis were conducted to assess relationships among the measurements. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Table 1 presents the characteristics of young HM subjects. A total of 135 eyes from 77 participants were analyzed. At baseline, the median age of participants in both groups was 26 years. The median refractive diopter for the two groups was − 7.75 D and − 8.00 D, respectively. The mean AL of the two groups was 26.95 ± 0.70 mm and 27.14 ± 0.68 mm. No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding mean age, sex, spherical equivalent (SE), AL and IOP. Table 1 Demographics of patients. Number of eyes NPS Group PS Group Test Value P Value 48 29 - - Sex, male/female 14/36 13/16 - - Age, Y 26.03 ± 3.09 26.47 ± 2.83 -0.75 >0.05 SE, D -7.94 ± 1.68 -8.74 ± 2.56 2.12 >0.05 AL, mm 26.95 ± 0.70 27.14 ± 0.68 -1.34 >0.05 IOP, mmHg 15.81 ± 2.32 15.33 ± 2.33 1.06 >0.05 IOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; SE spherical equivalent; D diopters; PS posterior staphyloma; NPS no posterior staphyloma. The macular region was divided into five sectors: foveal, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal. In the NPS group, the retinal vascular density (RVD) in these sectors was measured as 9.06 ± 2.76 mm², 21.03 ± 17.60 mm², 19.40 ± 2.27 mm², 18.64 ± 2.24 mm², and 18.07 ± 2.47 mm², respectively. No significant differences in RVD were observed (Table 2 ). The RT in the five sectors was recorded as 256.74 ± 18.412 µm, 336.54 ± 14.42 µm, 328.71 ± 35.31 µm, 329.62 ± 19.45 µm, and 320.60 ± 16.371 µm. In the PS group, the RVD in these sectors was measured as 8.36 ± 2.42 mm², 19.11 ± 2.96 mm², 19.62 ± 2.85 mm², 17.99 ± 2.94 mm², and 17.23 ± 4.19 mm², respectively. The RT in the five sectors was recorded as 251.00 ± 20.98 µm, 327.42 ± 14.63 µm, 327.44 ± 13.83 µm, 325.22 ± 16.07 µm, and 316.25 ± 14.16 µm. A significant reduction in superior and inferior retinal thickness was noted within the PS group compared to the NPS group (P < 0.05, Table 2 ). Table 2 Comparison of RVD and RT in the NPS group and PS group. RVD (mm 2 ) NPS Group PS Group Test Value P Value Foveal 9.06 ± 2.76 8.36 ± 2.42 1.344 0.18 Superior 21.03 ± 17.60 19.11 ± 2.96 0.65 0.52 Nasal 19.40 ± 2.27 19.62 ± 2.85 -0.46 0.65 Inferior 18.64 ± 2.24 17.99 ± 2.94 1.34 0.17 Temporal 18.07 ± 2.47 17.23 ± 4.19 1.42 0.16 RT (um) Foveal 256.74 ± 18.412 251.00 ± 20.98 1.542 0.125 Superior 336.54 ± 14.42 327.42 ± 14.63 3.236 0.002 Nasal 328.71 ± 35.31 327.44 ± 13.83 0.21 0.13 Inferior 329.62 ± 19.45 325.22 ± 16.07 1.21 0.043 Temporal 320.60 ± 16.37 316.25 ± 14.16 1.41 0.160 PS posterior staphyloma; NPS no posterior staphyloma; RVD retinal vascular density; RT retinal thickness This study revealed a correlation between RVD, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the NPS group (Table 3 , Table 4 ). As shown in Table 3 , temporal RVD exhibited a significant decrease with increasing AL (β = -0.603; P = 0.026). Table 3 Linear correlation analysis between RVD and ocular variables in the NPS group. Foveal RVD Superior RVD Nasal RVD Inferior RVD Temporal RVD B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value Age 0.014 0.883 0.029 0.699 0.095 0.218 0.039 0.620 0.062 0.468 Refraction 0.329 0.090 0.247 0.109 -0.039 0.803 0.094 0.357 0.208 0.230 AL 0.487 0.198 0.111 0.710 0.272 0.370 -0.057 0.854 -0.198 0.556 IOP -0.038 0.763 0.097 0.328 0212 0.036 0.094 0.357 0.015 0.892 IOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RVD retinal vascular density Table 4 presents the results of the linear correlation analysis between RT, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the NPS group. The analysis revealed that foveal AL increased significantly with rising RT values (β = 3.916, P = 0.036). Table 4 Linear correlation analysis between RT and ocular variables in the NPS group. Foveal RT Superior RT Nasal RT Inferior RT Temporal RT B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value Age 0.188 0.742 0.883 0.075 1.591 0.196 -0.146 0.830 0.454 0.429 Refraction 0.840 0.495 -0.759 0.470 -0.423 0.870 -0.684 0.636 0.217 0.858 AL 3.916 0.036 -0.428 0.788 -5.467 0.165 -0.086 0.969 -0.057 0.976 IOP -0.887 0.234 0.942 0.144 1.757 0.276 1.482 0.096 0.898 0.227 IOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RT retinal thickness This study revealed a correlation between RVD, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the PS group (Tables 5 and 6 ). Linear regression analysis indicated that RVD decreased significantly as inferior refraction increased (β = -0.42; P = 0.033). Additionally, temporal RVD demonstrated a significant decline with increasing AL (β = -1.344; P = 0.038). Table 5 Linear correlation analysis between RVD and ocular variables in the PS group. Foveal RVD Superior RVD Nasal RVD Inferior RVD Temporal RVD B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value Age -0.157 0.279 -0.220 0.194 -0.023 0.876 -0.233 0.159 -0.467 0.051 Refraction -0.166 0.327 -0.015 0.939 -0.313 0.080 -0.420 0.033 0.099 0.711 AL -0.639 0.128 -0.684 0.131 -1.090 0.010 -0.810 0.067 -1.344 0.038 IOP 0.231 0.184 0.365 0.077 0.485 0.011 0.242 0.218 0.136 0.621 IOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RVD retinal vascular density This study revealed a correlation between RT, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the PS group (Tables 6 ). Table 6 illustrates that linear regression analysis revealed a significant increase in foveal RT corresponding to the rise in AL (β = 8.83; P = 0.007). Table 6 Linear correlation analysis between RT and ocular variables in the PS group. Foveal RT Superior RT Nasal RT Inferior RT Temporal RT B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value B value P value Age 0.796 0.501 -0.111 0.911 0.432 0.628 1.052 0.299 -0.981 0.314 Refraction 1.839 0.176 0.331 0.764 1.317 0.221 2.117 0.080 1.133 0.282 AL 8.830 0.007 1.139 0.668 3.480 0.184 3.349 0.219 3.055 0.246 IOP -1.350 0.343 -0.300 0.805 -1.028 0.385 -0.372 0.758 -0.573 0.600 IOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RT retinal thickness We conducted a linear regression analysis to evaluate the association between RT and RVD (Fig. 1 ). In the NPS group, the analysis revealed correlations between RVD and RD in the foveal (R = 0.42; P < 0.001), superior (R = 0.01; P = 0.95), nasal (R = 0.07; P = 0.49), inferior (R = 0.03; P = 0.75), and temporal (R = 0.08; P = 0.49) regions. In contrast, the PS group demonstrated correlations between RVD and RD in the foveal (R = 0.42; P = 0.16), superior (R = 0.24; P = 0.15), nasal (R = 0.002; P = 0.99), inferior (R = 0.24; P = 0.16), and temporal (R = 0.11; P = 0.53) regions (Fig. 3 ). Notably, in the NPS group, RVD increased significantly with the rise in RT in the foveal region. Discussion This study compared the RT and RVD in the macular region among young HM patients with and without PS. It further examined their relationships with AL, refractive error, and retinal structural changes. The findings offer valuable insights into the pathological retinal changes in HM patients and shed light on the potential mechanisms driving these alterations. Firstly, we observed that HM patients with PS exhibited significant thinning in the superior and inferior macular RT compared to those without PS. This structural alteration likely stems from the pathological features of PS, which involve localized scleral expansion that deforms the posterior segment of the eye, thereby impacting the RT in these regions. Previous studies have suggested that retinal thinning may impair the retina's ability to maintain normal function due to diminished structural integrity and potential disruptions in nutrient supply systems within these areas[ 15 , 16 ]. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that PS exacerbates both structural and functional changes associated with HM. Secondly, our linear analysis of patients without PS revealed a significant association between AL and a gradual reduction in temporal macular RVD, demonstrating a negative correlation. Interestingly, the foveal RT increased progressively with AL, indicating a positive correlation. These findings suggest that while increasing AL in HM leads to vascular rarefaction, there may be a compensatory thickening in specific regions such as the central fovea. This compensatory mechanism could be a response to mechanical stretching exerted on the retina as the eye elongates. However, the reduction in vascular density may indicate an insufficient blood supply due to mechanical stress and vascular remodeling, thus impairing the retina’s functional integrity over time[ 17 , 18 ]. Among patients with PS, we observed that axial elongation was associated with thinning of the temporal macular RT and a positive correlation with foveal retinal thickening. These patterns are similar to those observed in the NPS group but exacerbated in regions affected by the staphyloma. In addition, increasing refractive error in HM with PS was correlated with reduced inferior macular RVD. The inferior retina may be particularly susceptible to RVD due to changes in scleral curvature and localized mechanical stress within the posterior segment of the eye. These findings correspond with previous reports highlighting the distinctive pathological impact of PS on the retina compared to eyes without staphyloma, emphasizing the importance of addressing these patients’ unique clinical characteristics[ 19 , 20 ]. Lastly, a regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between RT and RVD in HM patients without PS. The results revealed a positive correlation between foveal RT and RVD, suggesting that an increase in RT is accompanied by a rise in RVD to meet the metabolic demands of the retinal layers. This compensatory mechanism indicates that areas of retinal thickening in HM retain the ability to sustain an adequate blood supply. Notably, this phenomenon was primarily observed in the foveal region, which may possess a more robust autoregulatory capacity compared to the peripheral areas of the retina[ 21 ]. Overall, our study highlights the complex structural and vascular changes in the macular region in HM and reveals key differences between patients with and without PS. The results indicate that PS exacerbates retinal thinning and vascular density reduction in specific regions, potentially contributing to the progression of retinal dysfunction in patients with HM[ 22 ]. Notably, our findings regarding the association between RVD and RT in the foveal region suggest that localized vascular adaptations may help preserve retinal function, particularly during the early stages of disease progression. There are certain limitations to our study. The relatively small sample size and the variability in clinical characteristics among patients may impact the generalizability of our findings. Furthermore, the cross-sectional design restricts the ability to establish causation or evaluate the long-term trajectories of retinal changes. For the changes in retinal and choroidal blood flow in HM, this study only analyzed the changes in retinal blood flow and did not conduct in-depth research on the choroidal layer. To address these limitations, future longitudinal studies involving larger and more diverse populations are essential to validate the associations identified in this research and to explore the progression of retinal choroidal structural and vascular changes in HM over time. In conclusion, our findings provide new insights into retinal structural and vascular changes in HM, highlighting the critical role of PS in retinal pathology. These results may have important implications for developing targeted interventions and management strategies for preventing vision loss in HM, particularly those with PS. Declarations Authorship contribution statement Shanshan Li: Writing – original draft, Data curation & editing. Xinjie Su: Methodology, Formal analysis. Jie Ren: Data curation. Yiran Li: Data curation. Dawei Zhang: Writing – review & editing. Conflicts of interest The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with the research, authorship, and publication of this article. This observational study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University. Informed consent was signed by each subject. All participants are consent to publish. All procedures adhered to the standards outlined in the Helsinki Declaration. Availability of Data and Materials All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article. Funding Declaration There was no Funding. References Ehongo A. Understanding Posterior Staphyloma in Pathologic Myopia: Current Overview, New Input, and Perspectives. 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Front Cell Neurosci. 2023;17:1187400. https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2023.1187400 . Flores-Moreno I, Puertas M, Ruiz-Medrano J, Almazan-Alonso E, Garcia-Zamora M, Ruiz-Moreno JM. Influence of posterior staphyloma in myopic maculopathy and visual prognosis. Eye (Lond). 2024;38(1):145–52. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02648-z . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9114681","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":611759820,"identity":"5e625236-aa49-4d0e-b895-0a20353ec0ef","order_by":0,"name":"Shanshan Li","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA5klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACNv7mww8+VLDx2M8/fvBBQkUNYS18EsfSDGec4ZMxkOBJNnhw5hhhLXIMOQbSnG1yNgYSDGaSD1uYiXAYwwEDY8Y2Mx5z6Ya0isQGNgb+9u4E/FqYGxIeF5xL47Gcc/DYjcQdMgwSZ85uIGTLAeMZZcd4GA4kpN1IPMPGYCCRS0hLYoM0D9t/kBazgsQ2ZmK0JDNI87Sx8RjcSDBjIE6LxDE2YCCz8Uj2nEmWSDhzjIegX+T7+z+DotKen7394McfFTVy/O29+LVgAB7SlI+CUTAKRsEowAoAur1KcHnzAr4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Capital Medical University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shanshan","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":611759821,"identity":"54195f82-7877-45ab-8fa1-e69603b57842","order_by":1,"name":"Xinjie Su","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Capital Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xinjie","middleName":"","lastName":"Su","suffix":""},{"id":611759822,"identity":"f6c281b9-24f9-4300-8042-2244b46c7064","order_by":2,"name":"Jie Ren","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Capital Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jie","middleName":"","lastName":"Ren","suffix":""},{"id":611759823,"identity":"412a6e1e-05a8-4ec5-97c1-4cd46bb1242e","order_by":3,"name":"Yiran Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Capital Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yiran","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":611759824,"identity":"6823dcd0-59a5-4b22-951e-73fec81fbece","order_by":4,"name":"Dawei Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Capital Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dawei","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-13 12:23:29","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9114681/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9114681/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105571532,"identity":"496600fe-be07-44be-aacb-7bae8da37b90","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-27 13:23:23","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":554884,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFundus photography, B-ultrasound and SS-OCT images of posterior staphyloma or without posterior staphyloma. (A–C) Right eye images without PS, whose AL was 26 mm. (D–F) Right eye images with PS, whose AL was 30.5 mm.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSS-OCTA (OCT/OCTA, VG200S, SVision Imaging, China) has built-in axial length input and automatic magnification correction functions. During the examination process, after the researchers input the AL into the system, the device can automatically correct the x and y direction dimensions of the retinal image, thereby ensuring that the measurement results reflect the true retinal area.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9114681/v1/b5cac0b5e06f187aae3fdb23.png"},{"id":105571317,"identity":"cbbe2c23-a93b-42aa-a7e0-4d9c1a97ecbd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-27 13:22:36","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":887526,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eOcular coherence tomography angiography and optic nerve fiber layer thickness imaging of macular with high myopia without posterior staphyloma. Ocular coherence tomography angiography of the macula (A). Optic nerve fiber layer thickness imaging of macular, 3×3 mm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e ring with the fovea of the macular in the superior, nasal, inferior, temporal, and foveal regions (B).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9114681/v1/3e3d9b3fe45bba1c1ff38780.png"},{"id":105571603,"identity":"6d298f60-d51d-417d-b965-e0e9f82668c6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-27 13:23:44","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":563104,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eLinear correlation analysis between RVD and RT in PS and NPS groups. NPS no posterior staphyloma; PS posterior staphyloma\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9114681/v1/f569926fd31767441dbcc38e.png"},{"id":107598376,"identity":"8f95f3d1-5de6-4c57-8988-43475283ebbf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-23 05:55:28","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2549831,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9114681/v1/a5c124dc-2b5d-45b5-ad91-582f8b7ac4bd.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Macular Structures and Microcirculation in Posterior Staphyloma with Young High Myopia","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eHigh myopia is increasingly recognized as a significant global health concern due to its rising prevalence and association with severe ocular complications, most notably posterior staphyloma (PS)[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. The PS, distinguished by an outpouching of weakened scleral tissue in the posterior pole, serves as a hallmark complication of high myopia (HM), and often signals advanced pathological changes[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. Typically classified as axial myopia with a refractive error exceeding\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;6.0 diopters or an axial length (AL) greater than 26 mm, HM can cause progressive structural and functional damage to the retina, choroid, and optic nerve, thereby posing a considerable risk of vision loss[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe macula, essential for high-resolution visual function, is particularly susceptible in individuals with PS[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. Based on Ohno-Matsui\u0026rsquo;s classi-fication[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e], PS were differentiated into six types: I. the wide macular type, II. the narrow macular type, III. the parapapillary type, IV.the nasal type, V. the inferior type and VI. others. Eyes with the ocular wall that was in one flatcurvature were considered without PS.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStructural changes in the macula, such as retinal thinning, alterations in the retinal pigment epithelium, or disruptions in retinal architecture, are frequently observed in highly myopic eyes[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. Moreover, recent advancements in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) have enabled more detailed evaluations of macular structure and microcirculation, offering valuable insights into their connection to disease progression and visual impairment[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMicrocirculation in highly myopic eyes represents a critical avenue for research, as choroidal perfusion and retinal blood flow are essential for maintaining retinal health. HM has been linked to microvascular abnormalities, including reduced choroidal thickness, compromised macular perfusion, and altered vessel density[\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR11 CR12\" citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. Nonetheless, the relationship between microcirculatory changes and the development of PS in young individuals remains poorly understood, particularly given the rapid disease progression often observed in this population. Despite advances in imaging technologies and clinical knowledge, significant gaps persist in understanding the connections among macular structural parameters, microcirculation, and PS in cases of young-onset HM. Bridging these gaps is crucial to enhance early diagnosis, assess the risk of disease progression, and develop precision-targeted therapeutic strategies. This study seeks to examine the macular structures and microcirculation features in young patients with HM and PS using OCT and OCTA. By integrating quantitative and qualitative data, we aim to offer new insights into the pathological mechanisms driving PS and its effects on macular function and blood flow within this distinctive patient population.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Subjects","content":"\u003cp\u003e This cross-sectional study received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University. All procedures adhered to the standards outlined in the Helsinki Declaration. A total of 135 eyes diagnosed with HM were recruited from Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University between July 2023 and March 2024 (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Inclusion criteria required participants to have a refractive error of \u0026le;\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;6.00 diopters (D), AL\u0026thinsp;\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;26 mm, and an age range of 22\u0026ndash;37 years. Exclusion criteria included a history of intraocular surgery, the presence of any other ocular diseases or systemic vascular diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy examinations and OCT/OCTA Image Acquisition\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eComprehensive ophthalmologic examinations were conducted on all HM patients, which included BCVA, noncontact intraocular pressure (IOP), spherical diopter measurements, and AL assessments (AL-Scan, NIDEK, Germany). Additional procedures included dilated fundus examinations (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSS-OCTA (OCT/OCTA, VG200S, SVision Imaging, China) has built-in axial length input and automatic magnification correction functions. During the examination process, after the researchers input the AL into the system, the device can automatically correct the x and y direction dimensions of the retinal image, thereby ensuring that the measurement results reflect the true retinal area.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe formula for calculating the magnification of its fundus plane (xy direction) is: Magnification M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0492 \u0026times; axial length of the eye (AL)\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.1818. Among them, the default reference axial length of the eye is set to 24.0mm, corresponding to a magnification of M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1. The OCT/OCTA system utilized an SS laser with a central wavelength of approximately 1,050 nm and a scanning speed of 200,000 A-scans per second[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. The scanning area measured 3 \u0026times; 3 mm\u0026sup2; and was centered on the macular region, which was further subdivided into foveal, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal zones (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The grading ofstaphylomas was done by an experienced examiner, and questionablecases were determined by a retinalspecialist. In this study, dry-type HM with posterior scleral staphyloma included the wide macular staph- yloma (type I).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 23.0, Chicago, IL, USA). Results were expressed as mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation. The independent samples t-test was employed for comparisons between the two groups. Linear regression and Pearson's correlation analysis were conducted to assess relationships among the measurements. A p-value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 was considered statistically significant.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e presents the characteristics of young HM subjects. A total of 135 eyes from 77 participants were analyzed. At baseline, the median age of participants in both groups was 26 years. The median refractive diopter for the two groups was \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;7.75 D and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;8.00 D, respectively. The mean AL of the two groups was 26.95\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.70 mm and 27.14\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.68 mm. No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding mean age, sex, spherical equivalent (SE), AL and IOP.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographics of patients.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of eyes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNPS Group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePS Group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTest Value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP Value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex, male/female\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14/36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13/16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge, Y\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.47\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSE, D\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-7.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-8.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAL, mm\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.95\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.14\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP, mmHg\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.81\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; SE spherical equivalent; D diopters; PS posterior staphyloma; NPS no posterior staphyloma.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe macular region was divided into five sectors: foveal, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal. In the NPS group, the retinal vascular density (RVD) in these sectors was measured as 9.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.76 mm\u0026sup2;, 21.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;17.60 mm\u0026sup2;, 19.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.27 mm\u0026sup2;, 18.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.24 mm\u0026sup2;, and 18.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.47 mm\u0026sup2;, respectively. No significant differences in RVD were observed (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The RT in the five sectors was recorded as 256.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;18.412 \u0026micro;m, 336.54\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.42 \u0026micro;m, 328.71\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;35.31 \u0026micro;m, 329.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;19.45 \u0026micro;m, and 320.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;16.371 \u0026micro;m. In the PS group, the RVD in these sectors was measured as 8.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.42 mm\u0026sup2;, 19.11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.96 mm\u0026sup2;, 19.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.85 mm\u0026sup2;, 17.99\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.94 mm\u0026sup2;, and 17.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.19 mm\u0026sup2;, respectively. The RT in the five sectors was recorded as 251.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;20.98 \u0026micro;m, 327.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.63 \u0026micro;m, 327.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;13.83 \u0026micro;m, 325.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;16.07 \u0026micro;m, and 316.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.16 \u0026micro;m. A significant reduction in superior and inferior retinal thickness was noted within the PS group compared to the NPS group (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparison of RVD and RT in the NPS group and PS group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRVD (mm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNPS Group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePS Group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTest Value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP Value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFoveal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.344\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuperior\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;17.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNasal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInferior\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.99\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRT (um)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFoveal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e256.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;18.412\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e251.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;20.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.542\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.125\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuperior\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e336.54\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e327.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.236\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.002\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNasal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e328.71\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;35.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e327.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;13.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInferior\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e329.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;19.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e325.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;16.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.043\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e320.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;16.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e316.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;14.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.160\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePS posterior staphyloma; NPS no posterior staphyloma; RVD retinal vascular density; RT retinal thickness\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study revealed a correlation between RVD, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the NPS group (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). As shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, temporal RVD exhibited a significant decrease with increasing AL (β = -0.603; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.026).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinear correlation analysis between RVD and ocular variables in the NPS group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"11\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFoveal RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuperior RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNasal RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInferior RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporal RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.014\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.883\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.029\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.699\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.095\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.218\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.039\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.620\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.062\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.468\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRefraction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.329\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.090\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.247\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.109\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.039\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.803\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.094\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.357\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.208\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.230\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.487\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.198\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.111\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.710\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.272\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.370\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.057\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.854\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.198\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.556\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.038\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.763\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.097\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.328\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0212\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.036\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.094\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.357\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.015\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.892\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RVD retinal vascular density\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e presents the results of the linear correlation analysis between RT, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the NPS group. The analysis revealed that foveal AL increased significantly with rising RT values (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.916, P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.036).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinear correlation analysis between RT and ocular variables in the NPS group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"11\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFoveal RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuperior RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNasal RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInferior RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporal RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.188\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.742\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.883\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.075\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.591\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.196\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.146\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.830\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.454\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.429\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRefraction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.840\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.495\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.759\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.470\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.423\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.870\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.684\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.636\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.217\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.858\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.916\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.036\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.428\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.788\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-5.467\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.165\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.086\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.969\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.057\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.976\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.887\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.234\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.942\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.144\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.757\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.276\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.482\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.096\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.898\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.227\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RT retinal thickness\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study revealed a correlation between RVD, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the PS group (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). Linear regression analysis indicated that RVD decreased significantly as inferior refraction increased (β = -0.42; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.033). Additionally, temporal RVD demonstrated a significant decline with increasing AL (β = -1.344; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.038).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinear correlation analysis between RVD and ocular variables in the PS group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"11\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFoveal RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuperior RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNasal RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInferior RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporal RVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.157\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.279\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.220\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.194\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.876\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.233\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.159\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.467\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.051\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRefraction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.166\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.327\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.015\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.939\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.313\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.080\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.420\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.033\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.099\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.711\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.639\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.128\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.684\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.090\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.810\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.067\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.344\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.038\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.231\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.184\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.365\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.077\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.485\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.242\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.218\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.136\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.621\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RVD retinal vascular density\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study revealed a correlation between RT, age, refraction, AL and IOP in the PS group (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e illustrates that linear regression analysis revealed a significant increase in foveal RT corresponding to the rise in AL (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8.83; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.007).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinear correlation analysis between RT and ocular variables in the PS group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"11\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFoveal RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuperior RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNasal RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInferior RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporal RT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.796\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.501\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.111\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.911\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.432\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.628\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.052\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.299\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.981\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.314\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRefraction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.839\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.176\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.331\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.764\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.317\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.221\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.117\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.080\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.133\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.282\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.830\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.007\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.139\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.668\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.480\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.184\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.349\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.219\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.055\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.246\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.350\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.343\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.300\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.805\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.028\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.385\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.372\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.758\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.573\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.600\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIOP intraocular pressure; AL axial length; RT retinal thickness\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe conducted a linear regression analysis to evaluate the association between RT and RVD (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). In the NPS group, the analysis revealed correlations between RVD and RD in the foveal (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.42; P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), superior (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.95), nasal (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.07; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.49), inferior (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.75), and temporal (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.08; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.49) regions. In contrast, the PS group demonstrated correlations between RVD and RD in the foveal (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.42; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.16), superior (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.24; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.15), nasal (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.002; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.99), inferior (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.24; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.16), and temporal (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.11; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.53) regions (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). Notably, in the NPS group, RVD increased significantly with the rise in RT in the foveal region.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study compared the RT and RVD in the macular region among young HM patients with and without PS. It further examined their relationships with AL, refractive error, and retinal structural changes. The findings offer valuable insights into the pathological retinal changes in HM patients and shed light on the potential mechanisms driving these alterations. Firstly, we observed that HM patients with PS exhibited significant thinning in the superior and inferior macular RT compared to those without PS. This structural alteration likely stems from the pathological features of PS, which involve localized scleral expansion that deforms the posterior segment of the eye, thereby impacting the RT in these regions. Previous studies have suggested that retinal thinning may impair the retina's ability to maintain normal function due to diminished structural integrity and potential disruptions in nutrient supply systems within these areas[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that PS exacerbates both structural and functional changes associated with HM.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondly, our linear analysis of patients without PS revealed a significant association between AL and a gradual reduction in temporal macular RVD, demonstrating a negative correlation. Interestingly, the foveal RT increased progressively with AL, indicating a positive correlation. These findings suggest that while increasing AL in HM leads to vascular rarefaction, there may be a compensatory thickening in specific regions such as the central fovea. This compensatory mechanism could be a response to mechanical stretching exerted on the retina as the eye elongates. However, the reduction in vascular density may indicate an insufficient blood supply due to mechanical stress and vascular remodeling, thus impairing the retina\u0026rsquo;s functional integrity over time[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. Among patients with PS, we observed that axial elongation was associated with thinning of the temporal macular RT and a positive correlation with foveal retinal thickening. These patterns are similar to those observed in the NPS group but exacerbated in regions affected by the staphyloma. In addition, increasing refractive error in HM with PS was correlated with reduced inferior macular RVD. The inferior retina may be particularly susceptible to RVD due to changes in scleral curvature and localized mechanical stress within the posterior segment of the eye. These findings correspond with previous reports highlighting the distinctive pathological impact of PS on the retina compared to eyes without staphyloma, emphasizing the importance of addressing these patients\u0026rsquo; unique clinical characteristics[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLastly, a regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between RT and RVD in HM patients without PS. The results revealed a positive correlation between foveal RT and RVD, suggesting that an increase in RT is accompanied by a rise in RVD to meet the metabolic demands of the retinal layers. This compensatory mechanism indicates that areas of retinal thickening in HM retain the ability to sustain an adequate blood supply. Notably, this phenomenon was primarily observed in the foveal region, which may possess a more robust autoregulatory capacity compared to the peripheral areas of the retina[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, our study highlights the complex structural and vascular changes in the macular region in HM and reveals key differences between patients with and without PS. The results indicate that PS exacerbates retinal thinning and vascular density reduction in specific regions, potentially contributing to the progression of retinal dysfunction in patients with HM[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]. Notably, our findings regarding the association between RVD and RT in the foveal region suggest that localized vascular adaptations may help preserve retinal function, particularly during the early stages of disease progression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere are certain limitations to our study. The relatively small sample size and the variability in clinical characteristics among patients may impact the generalizability of our findings. Furthermore, the cross-sectional design restricts the ability to establish causation or evaluate the long-term trajectories of retinal changes. For the changes in retinal and choroidal blood flow in HM, this study only analyzed the changes in retinal blood flow and did not conduct in-depth research on the choroidal layer. To address these limitations, future longitudinal studies involving larger and more diverse populations are essential to validate the associations identified in this research and to explore the progression of retinal choroidal structural and vascular changes in HM over time.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, our findings provide new insights into retinal structural and vascular changes in HM, highlighting the critical role of PS in retinal pathology. These results may have important implications for developing targeted interventions and management strategies for preventing vision loss in HM, particularly those with PS.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthorship contribution statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShanshan Li: Writing \u0026ndash; original draft, Data curation \u0026amp; editing. Xinjie Su: Methodology, Formal analysis. Jie Ren: Data curation. Yiran Li: Data curation. Dawei Zhang: Writing \u0026ndash; review \u0026amp; editing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflicts of interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with the research, authorship, and publication of this article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis observational study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University. Informed consent was signed by each subject. All participants are consent to publish. All procedures adhered to the standards outlined in the Helsinki Declaration.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of Data and Materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding Declaration\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no Funding.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEhongo A. Understanding Posterior Staphyloma in Pathologic Myopia: Current Overview, New Input, and Perspectives. 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Eye (Lond). 2024;38(1):145\u0026ndash;52. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02648-z\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1038/s41433-023-02648-z\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"high myopia, posterior staphyloma, axial length, macular structures, microcirculation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9114681/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9114681/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eIntroduction:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo investigate the macular structures and microcirculation characteristics in young patients with high myopia (HM) and posterior staphyloma (PS).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 135 eyes from 135 participants were included. The HM patients were divided into no PS (NPS) and PS groups. The macular structures and microcirculation parameters were acquired using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Linear regression and pearson\u0026rsquo;s correlation analysis were used to determine the relationships among measurements.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe macular area was divided into foveal, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal regions. The superior and inferior retinal thickness in the PS group decreased significantly in the NPS and PS groups. This study demonstrated a correlation between retinal vascular density (RVD), age, refraction, axial length (AL) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in the two groups. The temporal RVD decreased significantly with the increase of AL (beta = -0.603; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.026) in the NPS group. The fovea AL increased significantly with the increase of retinal thickness (RT) (beta\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.916; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.036) in the NPS group. The RVD decreased significantly with the increase of inferior refraction (beta = -0.42; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.033) in the PS group. The temporal RVD decreased significantly with the increase of AL (beta = -1.344; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.038) in the PS group. The fovea RT increased significantly with the increase of AL (beta\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8.83; P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.007) in the PS group. The linear regression in NPS group showed the correlation between the RVD and RD in the macular fovea region (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.42; P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe inferior retina may be particularly susceptible to RVD due to changes in scleral curvature and regional mechanical stress within the posterior segment of the HM. The posterior staphyloma exacerbates retinal thinning and vascular density reduction in specific regions, potentially contributing to the progression of retinal dysfunction in patients with high myopia.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Macular Structures and Microcirculation in Posterior Staphyloma with Young High Myopia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-27 12:25:28","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9114681/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ea31f4f4-1d88-4d4e-a49b-d23a7bda120b","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 27th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-23T05:55:19+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-27 12:25:28","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9114681","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9114681","identity":"rs-9114681","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}

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