Lens nuclear opacity quantitation with long-range swept-source optical coherence tomography: correlation to LOCS III...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Age-related nuclear cataracts are a leading cause of vision impairment.
• Accurate quantification of lens nuclear opacity is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Current grading systems like Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III) and Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam Nuclear Stage function; PNS) have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify lens nuclear opacity using long-range swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) images.
• To evaluate the correlation of SS-OCT measurements with LOCS III and PNS nuclear density (ND_PNS).

Main Methods:

• 120 participants with age-related nuclear cataracts were enrolled.
• Long-range SS-OCT images were captured and analyzed for nuclear density (ND_SS-OCT).
• Repeatability of ND_SS-OCT was assessed; correlations with LOCS III (nuclear opalescence NO, nuclear colour NC), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and ND_PNS were analyzed.

Main Results:

• ND_SS-OCT measurement demonstrated high repeatability (CV_w = 1.5%, ICC = 0.994).
• ND_SS-OCT showed significant correlations with NO (r=0.831), NC (r=0.873), BCVA (r=0.655), and ND_PNS (r=0.891).
• Significant differences in ND_SS-OCT, NO, NC, and BCVA were observed between groups based on nuclear integrity.

Conclusions:

• Long-range SS-OCT provides a repeatable and well-correlated method for quantifying lens nuclear opacity.
• SS-OCT appears more promising than Scheimpflug imaging for objective and quantitative assessment, especially with dense nuclei.
• This technique offers potential for improved objective assessment of age-related nuclear cataracts.