Validation of optical low coherence reflectometry retinal and choroidal biometry

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Optics
• Retinal Imaging

Background:

• Accurate measurement of retinal thickness (RT) and choroidal thickness (ChT) is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring various ocular conditions.
• Optical low coherence reflectometry (OLCR) biometry and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) are advanced imaging techniques used for ocular measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy and agreement of RT and ChT measurements obtained using an OLCR biometer (Lenstar LS 900) versus an SD OCT device (Copernicus SOCT HR).
• To evaluate the reliability of OLCR biometry for retinal and choroidal thickness assessment in young, healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

• Twenty young adult subjects underwent foveal RT and subfoveal ChT measurements using both OLCR biometry and SD OCT.
• RT and ChT from OLCR were derived from manual A-scan analysis; SD OCT measurements were based on averaged B-scan images.
• Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were employed to compare measurements from the two instruments.

Main Results:

• High correlations were observed between OLCR and SD OCT for both RT (r=0.80) and ChT (r=0.94) (p<0.0001).
• Mean RT measurements were highly similar: 195 ± 17 μm (SD OCT) and 196 ± 16 μm (OLCR), with a mean difference of 1 ± 8 μm.
• Mean ChT measurements also showed good agreement: 324 ± 71 μm (SD OCT) and 328 ± 84 μm (OLCR), with a mean difference of 4 ± 24 μm.

Conclusions:

• OLCR biometry provides retinal thickness and choroidal thickness measurements that are highly correlated with and in good agreement with SD OCT.
• These findings suggest that OLCR biometry is a reliable tool for assessing retinal and choroidal thickness in young adults.