[Computerized digital image analysis of optic nerve heads with a three-dimensional image analyzer, IMAGEnet and a...

Computerized digital image analysis of the optic nerve heads of 17 eyes with various sizes of optic disc cupping was performed using two kinds of three dimensional image analyzers, the IMAGEnet and the Optic Nerve Head Analyzer (ONHA). Intraphotographic error variances of measurements with both instruments were evaluated by measuring each image of the optic discs twice. The mean coefficient of variation (CV) with the IMAGEnet for the vertical cup/disc ratio, the horizontal cup/disc ratio, the cup volume, the rim area, and the rim area/disc area ratio were 3.75%, 3.03%, 7.89%, 2.55% and 1.36%, respectively. With the ONHA, the mean CV for the total cup/disc ratio, the cup volume, the rim area, and the rim area/disc area ratio were 0.82%, 0.21%, 2.39%, and 1.56%, respectively. The value of the cup/disc ratio and the cup volume obtained by the IMAGEnet was smaller than those by the ONHA (p greater than 0.1). Conversely, the rim area and rim area/disc area ratio measured by the IMAGEnet were statistically significantly larger than those by the ONHA (p = 0.01). Statistically significantly positive correlation was demonstrated for measurements made by both instruments in all disc parameters (p less than 0.01). These results seem to indicate the high reliability of the two instruments, however, further investigation is needed for the evaluation of the accuracy of measurements.