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Reproducibility of Neuroretinal Rim Measurements Obtained from High-Density Spectral Domain Optical Coherence
Janice Kim1,2,3, Clara J Men2,4, Kitiya Ratanawongphaibul1,2,5
1Department of Ophthalmology, Glaucoma Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.
Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.)
|August 22, 2022
Summary
Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) shows similar reproducibility for global retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and 3D minimum distance band (MDB) thickness in normal and glaucoma patients. However, MDB thickness reproducibility is lower in glaucoma patients for superior and inferior quadrants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Imaging
- Glaucoma Research
Background:
- Glaucoma diagnosis and monitoring rely on accurate structural measurements of the optic nerve head.
- Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) offers advanced imaging for quantitative analysis of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and neuroretinal rim parameters.
- Assessing the reproducibility of these SDOCT measurements is crucial for reliable clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the reproducibility of two-dimensional (2D) peripapillary RNFL thickness and three-dimensional (3D) neuroretinal rim measurements using SDOCT.
- To evaluate these measurements in both normal subjects and patients with glaucoma.
Main Methods:
- Repeat SDOCT scans (RNFL thickness and optic nerve volume) were performed on the same day for 27 normal and 40 glaucoma subjects.
- Custom software calculated five 3D neuroretinal rim parameters, including 3D minimum distance band (MDB) thickness, and compared them with 2D RNFL thickness.
- Reproducibility was assessed using within-subject variance (Sw), coefficient of variation (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
Main Results:
- Global MDB thickness and global RNFL thickness showed similar reproducibility in normal and glaucoma subjects (CVs 2.4% vs 1.3% and 3.6% vs 2.2%, respectively).
- Reproducibility of MDB thickness was significantly lower in glaucoma patients for the superior and inferior quadrants compared to normal subjects (CVs 9.6% vs 3.4% and 6.9% vs 2.7%).
- MDB thickness demonstrated the lowest CVs among all five neuroretinal rim parameters across both groups and all regions.
Conclusions:
- Global MDB thickness and global RNFL thickness exhibit comparable reproducibility between normal individuals and glaucoma patients.
- The reproducibility of MDB thickness is reduced in the superior and inferior quadrants for glaucoma patients compared to normal subjects.
- 3D MDB thickness measurements offer a reproducible method for assessing neuroretinal rim parameters in glaucoma diagnostics.
