title: Accuracy of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in pachymetry for glaucoma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Central corneal thickness (CCT) measurement has become an important test in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma. Currently, ultrasound corneal thickness measurement (pachymetry) is the most frequently used clinical technique and the gold standard to assess CCT. Newer instruments are currently available including the optical coherence tomography (OCT) instrument. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the accuracy of the CCT measurements performed by three different observers, both with the OCT and ultrasound pachymetry (USP), in patients suffering from glaucoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had been previously diagnosed with glaucoma participated in this cross-sectional study. Glaucoma was defined as patients who had at least two repeatable Humphrey visual fields showing glaucoma damage using the software 24-2, and with the optic nerve showing typical glaucoma damage. The patients CCTs were measured with OCT and USP by three different examiners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy eyes of 35 patients were included. The average age was 74 ± standard deviation (SD) 10.88, the average pachymetry value with OCT was 536 ± 29 μm, and the average pachymetry with USP was 532 ± 32 μm. The differences between OCT and USP were not significant (t-test, p = 0.32). The intraclass correlation coefficients were, for OCT, 0.99 [confidence interval (CI): 0.98-0.996], and for USP, 0.97 (CI: 0.95-0.98).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Agreement among the three observers using OCT or USP for pachymetry measurements was good. OCT might be used as an alternative method for pachymetry in glaucoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Eye Department, Skaraborgs Hospital, Skövde, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University & Karolinska Institute, 541 85, Skövde, Sweden. marcelo.ayala@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.affiliation: Eye Department, Skaraborgs Hospital, Skövde, Sweden. robert.p.strandas@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strandås
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology*; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry / Q000592:standards*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000592:standards*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology