Author: Christoph Leisser (Austria)
Co-authors: Daria Lilian Amon, Josef Christian Huemer, Oliver Findl
Purpose
OCT biomarkers are specific presurgical changes in retinal morphology with possible influence on postsurgical outcome. Aim of our study was to calculate reliability in diagnosing OCT biomarkers for epiretinal membranes and their influence on postsurgical visual acuity.
Setting/Venue
Department of Ophthalmology at the Hanusch Hospital Vienna.
Methods
A retrospective analysis of patients scheduled for pars plana vitrectomy with membrane peeling due to idiopathic epiretinal membranes. All patients were pseudophakic at the follow-up 3 months after surgery and occurrence of the following OCT biomarkers (yes/no) was assessed in the presurgical OCTs: ectopic inner foveal layer (EIFL), disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL), intraretinal cystoid changes, defects of the ellipsoid zone, cotton ball sign, hyperreflective foci (HR-foci), and epiretinal membrane rips (ERM rips). Intra- and interobserver reliability, calculated with the Kuder-Richardson 20 test, was assessed from two independent readers and influence of OCT biomarkers on postsurgical DCVA (EDTRS charts) was calculated for each of the mentioned OCT biomarkers and central subfield thickness (µm) independently and for all of them together in a multiple regression analysis.
Results
In total, 136 patients were included into the analysis. Intraobserver reliability values were higher than interobserver reliability values (EIFL: 0.889/0.703; DRIL: 0.823/0.528; intraretinal cystoid changes: 0.926/0.888; defects of the ellipsoid zone: 0.835/0.782; cotton ball sign: 0.837/0.716; HR-foci: 0.676/0.582; ERM rips: 0.554/0.467) and only DRIL and central subfield thickness resulted in significant influence on postsurgical DCVA.
Conlusions
Intra- and interobserver reliability showed variability between OCT biomarkers with at least acceptable to good values for EIFL, DRIL, intraretinal cystoid changes, defects of the ellipsoid zone, and cotton ball sign. Central subfield thickness and DRIL showed significant association with DCVA 3 months after surgery.
Financial Disclosure
O. Findl is a scientific advisor for Alcon, Croma, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and Merck. All authors declare, that there are no conflicts of interest.
Comments
-
