Novel Method to Measure Volumes of Retinal Specific Entities.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Current optical-coherence-tomography (OCT) software has limitations in automating volumetric analysis for specific retinal pathologies.
• Accurate volumetric measurements are crucial for understanding and managing various retinal conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and validate a novel, user-friendly OCT-based method for calculating specific volumes in retinal pathologies.
• To address the limitations of existing OCT software in automated volumetric analysis.

Main Methods:

• A manual drawing and area measurement approach was used on linear OCT scans.
• A formula (Volume = ∑area × OCT-scan distance) was applied for volumetric calculation.
• Measurements were performed by two independent observers and compared with automated OCT software, with re-acquisition after six weeks.

Main Results:

• The study included 62 eyes (30 normal foveal profile, 32 lamellar macular holes).
• Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated high inter- and intra-observer agreement for the proposed method.
• A high degree of agreement was found between manual measurements and automated OCT software in normal eyes.

Conclusions:

• The described OCT-based method is easy, reliable, and widely applicable for volumetric analysis of retinal pathologies.
• The method exhibits excellent inter- and intra-observer agreement.
• This technique can be utilized for studying any specific entity within retinal pathologies requiring volumetric assessment.