ObjectiveTo measure the macular retinal thickness of middle-aged and elderly myopic patients and examine the correlations between the macular retinal thickness and the axial length (AL), diopter, corrected visual acuity and gender. Methods Eight-five middle-aged and elderly myopic patients (96 eyes), including 43 females (52 eyes) and 42 males (44 eyes), with an average age of 63±6 years, were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent a full ophthalmic examination including visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit lamp, indirect ophthalmoscopy, OCT, refraction and diopter and A-scan ultrasound biometry. The patients were divided into three groups according to the AL and spherical equivalent degree (SED) that stands for diopter, including low and intermediate myopia group, high myopia group and super high myopia group. There were no significant differences in age (χ2=1.875), gender (χ2=0.667) and right/left eye distribution (χ2=0.375) among the 3 groups (P > 0.05), and significant differences were found in the AL (F=345.75), SED (F=239.05) and corrected visual acuity (F=3.679) among the 3 groups of patients (P < 0.05). SD-OCT was used to measure the total average macular thickness (TR), central subfield thickness, and the retina thickness in 4 quadrants of the inner and outer ring (IR/OR) of macular. Correlation between AL, SED, and corrected visual acuity with macular TR was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Independent-Sample Test was used in TR comparison in different sex-group and macular retina area. ResultsThe retinal thickness of all the macular regions, except those at inferior and superior inner ring of macular, was significantly different among the 3 groups (F=6.794, 10.155, 5.861, 6.692, 12.081, 10.729, 5.137; P < 0.05).The retinal thickness of IR, OR and TR was significantly different among the 3 groups(F=7.370, 17.939, 15.553; P < 0.05). Superior inner macular thickness had no correlations with both AL and SED (r=-0.103, -0.098; P > 0.05). Inferior inner macular thickness had no correlations with AL, but had negative correlations with SED (r=-0.203, P < 0.05). The central subfield thickness (t=-2.082), temporal inner macular thickness (t=-2.564), superior inner thickness (t=-2.958), average inner macular thickness (t=-2.777) and TR (t=-2.400) was lower in females compared to males, and significant differences were existed (P < 0.05). ConclusionsIn our study, middle-aged and elderly myopic patients featured generally thinner macular retinal thickness, and the central subfield thickness, temporary and nasal inner macular thickness and all the quadrants of outer macular thickness was decreased significantly. Females are characterized by thinner central subfield thickness, inner macular thickness and total average macular thickness compared to males.