Peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness measurement reproducibility using optical coherence tomography.
OBJECTIVE
To assess reproducibility of quadrantic and clock hour sectors of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in normal eyes using optical coherence tomography.


METHODS
Normal eyes of healthy volunteers meeting eligibility criteria were imaged by two inexperienced operators. Six 360 degrees circular scans with a diameter of 3.4 mm centered on the optic disc were obtained during each scanning session, and a baseline image was formed using 3 high-quality images defined by the software. Images were obtained on three different days within a 4-week period. Variance and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated for quadrantic and retinal nerve fiber layer clock hour sectors obtained from the baseline image.


RESULTS
Five normal eyes were scanned. Intraoperator reproducibility was high. The mean (+/- SD) CV for total retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was 5.3 +/- 3.82% and 4.33 +/- 3.7% for operators 1 and 2, respectively. Interoperator reproducibility was good with statistically similar variance for all quadrantic and clock hour retinal nerve fiber layer parameters (P = .42 to .99). The nasal retinal nerve fiber layer was the most variable sector for both operators (mean CV: 10.42% and 7.83% for operators 1 and 2, respectively). Differences in mean total, nasal, temporal, and superior retinal nerve fiber layer thickness were not statistically significant between operators for all eyes; however, for inferior retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, there was a significant (P = .0007) difference between operators in one eye.


CONCLUSIONS
Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness assessments using optical coherence tomography have good intraoperator and interoperator reproducibility. Inexperienced operators can generate useful measurement data with acceptable levels of variance.
Villain
Max A
MA
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida 33418, USA.
Greenfield
David S
DS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007368:Interferometry; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy / Q000379:methods; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods