Detecting the inner and outer borders of the retinal nerve fiber layer using optical coherence tomography.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to develop a new algorithm to detect the inner and outer borders of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) using optical coherence tomography (OCT).


METHODS
A program featuring a new algorithm was developed using a commercially available software development environment. The algorithm searches for peaks on each sampling line instead of applying conventional thresholding techniques. All circular peripapillary OCT images obtained at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary from October 1996 to December 2000 were analyzed using the new and the commercially available algorithms.


RESULTS
Four hundred one images of 98 patients were analyzed. The detection error rate (defined as number of scans with five consecutive sampling lines with disrupted RNFL borders) was significantly lower with the new algorithm (25/401 images, 6.2%) than with the commercially available algorithm (70/401 images, 17.5%) (P=0.018, chi-square).


CONCLUSIONS
The new algorithm improved the ability of OCT to detect the borders of the RNFL.
Ishikawa
Hiroshi
H
Department of Ophthalmology, The New York Medical College, Valhalla, USA.
Piette
Scott
S
Liebmann
Jeffrey M
JM
Ritch
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007368:Interferometry; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D014054:Tomography