title: Field test reliability of a new lens opacity rating system utilizing slit-lamp examination.
abstract: A field test of a lens opacity rating system was run. Findings were graded in 7 categories: Cortex: (1) Waterclefts, Vacuoles, & Flakes (WVF, 4 grades), (2) Wedges & Spokes graded by number of Quadrants affected (WS-Q), and (3) Inward extent of Wedges & Spokes (WS-I, 3 grades); Nucleus: (4) Opacification (NUC-O) and (5) Coloration (NUC-C), each using 4 grades; and Subcapsular areas: (6) Anterior (SUB-A) and (7) Posterior (SUB-P) opacification, each using 5 grades. An instruction booklet with corresponding guidelines, sketches, and photographs was developed. Reproducibility of grading was tested in 3 clinics using 16 ophthalmologist-examiners. At each clinic, examiners were randomly paired. They independently performed slit-lamp exams of assigned patients (9 on average) on the same day (inter-examiner) and 1-2 weeks later (intra-examiner). To test intra-examiner reliability, examiners were divided into two groups (one from each pair), with gradings analyzed by group. For each group, 53 to 58 patients had evaluable examinations. Intra-examiner concordance for each lens category (defined as at most one grade difference in one lens) was as follows (for examiner groups 1 and 2, resp.): WVF: 98% & 97%; WS-Q: 96% & 100%; WS-I: 100% & 100%; NUC-O: 98% & 100%; NUC-C: 100% & 98%; SUB-A: 90% & 100%; and, SUB-P: 92% & 100%. Inter-examiner concordances were slightly lower than those found for intra-examiner. Grading lens findings in the manner described above appears to have potential utility in large scale studies.
authors.affiliation: Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laties
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keates
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lippa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shear
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Snavely
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tupy-Visich
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Chremos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013223:Statistics as Topic