Abstract
BackgroundAssessment of interobserver reproducibility and interocular symmetry using optical coherence tomography (OCT)–based measurements of the macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) in healthy children facilitates interpretation of OCT data. We assessed the interobserver reproducibility and interocular symmetry of GCC and evaluated candidate determinants.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study performed in a primary and tertiary health-care setting. A total of 126 healthy participants aged 5 to 18 years were eligible. GCC scans were performed by 4 operators using the Topcon 3D OCT-2000 device. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to estimate reproducibility and symmetry. Cut-off points for symmetry were defined as the 95th percentile of the absolute interocular difference for 6 GCC parameters. Percentile distributions of interocular difference were generated based on age and difference in absolute interocular spherical equivalent (SE).ResultsThe reproducibility ICC ranged from 0.96 to 0.98 for all 6 GCC parameters. Cut-off points for interocular symmetry of the superior and inferior quadrants and total macular retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (mRNFL) and macular ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer thickness were 3.5, 4.5, 3.0, 3.0, 2.5, and 2.5 μm respectively. A positive association was observed between the absolute interocular difference of SE and superior and total mRNFL symmetry values (p = 0.047 and p = 0.040, respectively).ConclusionsOCT measurements of GCC in healthy children show excellent reproducibility. Interocular differences in SE should be assessed when mRNFL differences exceed the 95% cut-off. These findings can contribute to establish reference values for interocular symmetry in paediatric GCC parameters.
Highlights
Assessment of interobserver reproducibility and interocular symmetry using optical coherence tomography (OCT)–based measurements of the macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) in healthy children facilitates interpretation of OCT data
We examined the interobserver reproducibility of repeated measurements of GCC and interocular symmetry and their determinants using SDOCT in healthy children
To our knowledge, this study provides the first report on interobserver reproducibility and interocular symmetry of macular ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer thickness (GCL-IPL) and macular retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (mRNFL) thicknesses, as measured by OCT in healthy children aged 5–18 years
Summary
Assessment of interobserver reproducibility and interocular symmetry using optical coherence tomography (OCT)–based measurements of the macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) in healthy children facilitates interpretation of OCT data. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a rapid, noninvasive, noncontact method that plays an increasingly important role in paediatric ophthalmology [1]. Few studies have researched the values of GCL-IPL in healthy children, with one in children with refractive errors [14], one in healthy Turkish children [15], one in healthy Spanish children [16], and another that compared the result obtained in healthy children with the results for children with congenital glaucoma [17] None of these studies included reproducibility analyses. 1 article included reproducibility of GCL-IPL measurements with a handheld OCT device in children with optic pathway gliomas [18]
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