title: Monitoring of drusen and geographic atrophy area size after cataract surgery using the MD3RI tool for computer-aided contour drawing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To monitor possible changes in the cumulated drusen or geographic atrophy area size (CDGAS) of nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients before and after cataract surgery, using a new tool for computer-aided image quantification.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, prospective, clinical trial. 54 patients with cataract and nonexudative AMD were randomly assigned into an early surgery group (ES = 28) and a control group (CO = 26) with a 6-month delay of surgery. CDGAS was determined with the MD3RI tool for contour drawing in a central region of digitized fundus photographs, measuring 3,000 µm in diameter. To evaluate CDGAS progression, differences in pixels and square millimeters were calculated by equivalent tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-nine patients completed the visits over the 12-month period (ES = 27 and CO = 22). Mean pixel values increased from 201.5 (11.33 × 10(-3) mm(2)) to 202.7 (11.39 × 10(-3) mm(2)) in the ES group and from 191.6 (10.77 × 10(-3) mm(2)) to 194.6 (10.94 × 10(-3) mm(2)) in the CO group. Finally, equivalence of CDGAS differences between ES and CO could be demonstrated. No exudative AMD was recorded during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our cohorts, no significant changes were found in CDGAS 12 months after cataract surgery. The MD3RI software could serve as an efficient, precise and objective tool for AMD quantification and monitoring in future trials.
authors.affiliation: Department for Ophthalmology at the Rudolfstiftung Hospital and the Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute for Retinology and Biomicroscopic Laser Surgery, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Christiane I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Falkner-Radler
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oeser
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Binder
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D057092:Geographic Atrophy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology