Evaluation of posterior vitreous detachment using ultrasonography and optical coherence tomography.

Abstract

To compare the diagnostic ability of ultrasonography (US) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in evaluating posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) status. In total, 124 eyes in 63 patients were prospectively enrolled. Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) status was evaluated by two examiners independently using US and OCT (transverse scan with/without peripapillary scan). By combining all examination results from both examiners, a final agreement on the PVD status was made. Inter-observer agreement and inter-examination agreement on PVD detection were evaluated. The inter-observer agreement on PVD grading based on US was substantial (kappa=0.628). The inter-observer agreement on PVD grading based on OCT was almost perfect (transverse and peripapillary scan, kappa=0.893; transverse scan only, kappa=0.923). The PVD grading based on transverse and peripapillary OCT perfectly matched the final PVD grading (kappa=1.00). The PVD grading made based on US and transverse scan only showed almost perfect agreement with the final PVD grading (US, kappa=0.834; transverse scan only, kappa=0.906). Both US and OCT could accurately evaluate PVD. The interpretation of the US images was more subjective, leading to lower inter-examiner agreement than that of the OCT. By adding peripapillary OCT scan images, the diagnostic ability of OCT was improved.