Reproducibility of gradings of retinal photographs in eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization and age-related macular degeneration in the macular photocoagulation study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the reproducibility of the evaluation of color photographs and fluorescein angiograms of the macula of each eye for patients enrolled in the Macular Photocoagulation Study (MPS) trials of laser photocoagulation of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration.


METHODS
A total of 65 pre-enrollment and 26 posttreatment sets of photographs were regraded. The two gradings were compared on selected items judged to be of primary importance with respect to the role of the MPS Reading Center.


RESULTS
Agreement on eligibility of the neovascular lesion for an MPS trial was 88% (kappa statistic = 0.59); agreement on the size of the lesion was 86% (kappa statistic = 0.80); agreement on whether the lesion was covered by heavy treatment was 69% (kappa statistic = 0.35); and agreement on whether the treatment was in compliance with the study protocol was 73% (kappa statistic = 0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Interpretation of photographs of eyes with CNV secondary to age-related macular degeneration for eligibility and size of the lesion was reproducible in the MPS. However, adequacy of laser photocoagulation treatment could not be determined reliably from photographs.
The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. jjeffrey@jhmi.edu
Joan L
JL
Jefferys
Judith
J
Alexander
Cheryl J
CJ
Hiner
Noreen B
NB
Javornik
Rochelle E
RE
Smith
Neil M
NM
Bressler
Barbara S
BS
Hawkins
D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D003116:Color; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000601:surgery*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications*; D010781:Photography / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*