Hyperemia Analysis Software for Assessment of Conjunctival Hyperemia Severity

A comparison of subjective and objective conjunctival hyperaemia grading with AOS® Anterior software

Clinical relevance: This study evaluates a commercially available conjunctival hyperaemia grading system, providing validation of an important tool for ocular surface research and clinical trials.Background: Bulbar conjunctival hyperaemia is a sign of ocular surface inflammation, and proper measurement is essential to clinical care and trials. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and repeatability of an objective grading system in comparison with subjective grading.Methods: This study was a retrospective, randomised analysis of 300 bulbar conjunctival images that were collected at an academic institution. The images used were de-identified and collected from the Keratograph K5 and Haag-Streit slitlamp. Six investigators graded the images with either a 0.1 or 0.5 unit scaling using a 0-4 Efron grading scale. Three of the investigators also imported the images into the AOS ® Anterior software and graded them objectively. All measurement techniques were assessed for repeatability and comparability to each other.Results: Mean hyperaemia with the objective system (1.1 ± 0.7) was significantly less than the subjective grading (2.0 ± 0.8) (P < 0.001). Both inter- and intra-subject repeatability of the objective system (0.15) was better than the subjective methods (1.70).Conclusion: The results showed excellent repeatability of the AOS ® Anterior objective conjunctival hyperaemia grading software, although they were not found to be interchangeable with subjective scores. This system has value in monitoring levels of hyperaemia in contact lens wearers and patients in clinical care and research trials.

Evaluation of Patterns and Correlations of the Degree of Conjunctival Hyperemia Induced by Omidenepag Isopropyl 0.002% and Ripasudil 0.4

PURPOSE

To evaluate the pattern of conjunctival hyperemia induced by omidenepag isopropyl 0.002% and ripasudil 0.4%, and its correlation with the degree of hyperemia.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We previously reported the time course of conjunctival hyperemia induced by administering one drop of omidenepag isopropyl to one eye and one drop of ripasudil to the other eye in 34 healthy subjects (mean age: 29.7 years; 22 females, 12 males). We assessed the degree of hyperemia by slit-lamp photography of the frontal and temporal conjunctiva 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 360 min after the administration of one drop of omidenepag isopropyl and ripasudil. The data were used to compare the frontal photographs before and at the peak of hyperemia according to the clinical hyperemia score (0-3) and classify the pattern of developing hyperemia due to both drugs. We also examined the correlation between the degree of hyperemia by comparing the images captured at the peak of hyperemia in both groups, using clinical hyperemia score and "percent coverage" of conjunctival hyperemia by using an automated hyperemia analysis software program; this program provides the pixel coverage of the conjunctival vessels in the region of interest.  Results: There were significant differences in the developmental pattern of hyperemia between omidenepag isopropyl-administered and ripasudil-administered eyes (P<0.001, χ2 test), with dilation of large blood vessels only (N=2 vs. 1, respectively), small blood vessels only (N=17 vs. 5), both large and small blood vessels (N=8 vs. 27), and no change (N=6 vs. 0). The degree of hyperemia between the two groups was positively correlated with the hyperemia score (rs=0.344, P=0.055) in the frontal conjunctival photographs and the percent coverage of conjunctival blood vessels (r=0.510, P=0.003) in the temporal conjunctival photographs.

CONCLUSIONS

The pattern of conjunctival hyperemia induced by omidenepag isopropyl predominantly involved small blood vessels, whereas that of ripasudil involved both large and small blood vessels. The eyes that were hyperemic with omidenepag isopropyl also tended to be hyperemic with ripasudil.

Time course of conjunctival hyperemia induced by omidenepag isopropyl ophthalmic solution 0.002%: a pilot, comparative study versus ripasudil 0.4

Objective

We investigated the detailed time course of conjunctival hyperemia induced by omidenepag isopropyl ophthalmic solution 0.002% (omidenepag), a selective prostaglandin E2 receptor 2 agonist.

Methods and analysis

We recruited 34 healthy subjects and administered omidenepag in the right eye and ripasudil 0.4% in the left eye. We evaluated conjunctival hyperemia using slit-lamp photography at baseline and after 15, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 360 min. The conjunctival hyperemia score was graded by three independent observers using a scale from 0 (none) to 3 (severe). We also evaluated conjunctival hyperemia by the pixel coverage of conjunctival blood vessels (per cent coverage) determined using a conjunctival hyperemia-analysing software.

Results

In omidenepag, the conjunctival hyperemia score and per cent coverage peaked at both 30 min (mean score±SD: 1.57±0.67 and 11.90%±3.66%, respectively) and then gradually decreased at 60 min (10.79%±3.32%) and 120 min (1.10±0.52) when they reached a level that was not significantly different from the baseline values. For ripasudil 0.4%, the peak time of the conjunctival hyperemia score and per cent coverage were both at 15 min (score: 2.42±0.54 and 15.26%±3.38%). The degree of conjunctival hyperemia was significantly higher for ripasudil 0.4% than that for omidenepag from 15 to 30 min in both the conjunctival hyperemia score and per cent coverage (p<0.007 by Bonferroni correction).

Conclusion

Conjunctival hyperemia induced by omidenepag gradually peaks to moderate severity, though weaker compared with that induced by ripasudil 0.4%, and subsides relatively quickly.