Enhanced Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography in Uveitis: An Intravisit and Interobserver Reproducibility...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Choroidal Imaging

Background:

• Noninfectious uveitis can affect the choroid, a vascular layer beneath the retina.
• Accurate measurement of subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) is crucial for monitoring disease activity and treatment response.
• Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) is a key technology for visualizing the choroid.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the intravisit and interobserver reproducibility of manual subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) measurements.
• To evaluate the reliability of SFCT measurements obtained via EDI-OCT in patients with noninfectious uveitis.
• To compare measurement reproducibility across different uveitis classifications and disease activity levels.

Main Methods:

• Reliability analysis of SFCT measurements from 97 eyes of patients with noninfectious uveitis.
• Two consecutive EDI-OCT scans were performed per patient.
• Manual SFCT measurements were taken by two independent ophthalmologists using manufacturer software.
• Bland-Altman analysis was used to determine bias and limits of agreement.

Main Results:

• Manual SFCT measurements demonstrated good intravisit reproducibility (32.4 ± 3.8 microm) and interobserver reproducibility (51.4 ± 8.5 microm).
• Coefficients of repeatability were comparable between observers and did not significantly vary by anatomic location or clinical disease activity.
• The measurements were found to be reproducible across various types of noninfectious uveitis.

Conclusions:

• Manual SFCT measurements using EDI-OCT are reproducible in patients with noninfectious uveitis.
• The obtained coefficients of repeatability are similar to those reported for healthy eyes.
• These findings support the use of manual SFCT measurements in clinical practice for uveitis management, though further validation for clinical trials is warranted.