Efficacy of Swept-source Optical Coherence Tomography in Axial Length Measurement for Advanced Cataract Patients

Key Factors in Early Diagnosis of Myopia Progression within Ocular Biometric Parameters by Scheimpflug Technology

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between myopia and ocular biometric variables using the Pentacam AXL^® single rotation Scheimpflug camera. This prospective, cross-sectional, single-center study was performed in fifty Caucasian patients aged between 18 and 30 years (24.84 ± 3.04 years). The measured variables included maximum and minimum keratometry (K1 and K2, respectively), anterior chamber depth (ACD), corneal horizontal diameter or white to white (WTW), central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal asphericity (Q), and axial length (AXL). The tomographic and biometric measurements were considered optimal when the quality factor was greater than 95% according to the manufacturer's software instructions. The AXL presented a significant correlation with the spherical equivalent without cycloplegia (SE without CP), age at onset of myopia (r = -0.365, p = 0.012), mean keratometry (Km) (r = -0.339, p = 0.016), ACD (r = 0.304, p = 0.032), and WTW (r = 0.406, p = 0.005). The eyes with AXL higher than 25 mm had earlier onset; higher SE without CP, AXL, and Q; and a flatter Km. AXL is the biometric variable with the greatest influence on the final refractive state in the adult myopic eye. Ophthalmologists and optometric management must consider these biometric differences in order to identify the most appropriate correction techniques in each case. The use of the Pentacam AXL in ocular biometric measurement is effective, reproducible, and non-invasive.

Double peak axial length measurement signal in cataract patients with epiretinal membrane

PURPOSE

To evaluate the accuracy of axial length (AL) measurement for intraocular lens (IOL) calculation in patients with cataract and epiretinal membrane (ERM).

METHODS

This prospective, cross-sectional study was performed in cataract patients with ERM. All subjects were sent for standard optical biometry, prepared for cataract surgery. Signals of AL measurement were detected as double peaks and recorded as AL1 (first peak), and AL2 (second peak). The IOL power was calculated from AL1 and AL2, and reported as IOL1 and IOL2. The IOL2 was chosen for cataract surgery in all cases. Postoperative predictive errors were compared between IOL1 and IOL2.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven eyes from 37 patients were included. Mean AL1 was significantly shorter than AL2 (23.13 ± 1.28 vs. 23.60 ± 1.34 mm, p < 0.001), resulting in higher power of IOL1 than IOL2 (mean difference was 1.53 ± 0.96 diopters, p < 0.001). At 3-months post-operation, twenty-nine eyes (78.4%) (95% CI 62.8%-88.6%) showed refractive error within ± 0.5 diopter and all eyes were within ± 1.0 diopter. Postoperative predictive errors including mean arithmetic error (ME) and mean absolute error (MAE) of IOL2 were significantly lower than those of IOL1 (ME: IOL1 vs. IOL2, -0.94 ± 0.91 vs. 0.08 ± 0.51; MAE: 0.97 ± 0.88 vs. 0.39 ± 0.33 diopter, all p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

AL measurement in ERM can be detected as a double peak signal during biometric measurement. The IOL power calculated from the first and second peak signals is significantly different. However, the IOL power derived from the second peak signal provides better refractive outcomes. The results suggest that the second peak signal represents an accurate AL measurement.

Axial length measurement failure rates using optical biometry based on swept-source OCT in cataractous eyes

INTRODUCTION

Ocular dimensions measurement is extremely important in cataract procedures and refractive surgery. The use of optical techniques for axial measurements has been developed in recent years.

AREAS COVERED

The purpose was to summarize the outcomes reported when swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) optical biometry failed during axial length measurement. A peer-reviewed literature search was carried out to identify publications reporting clinical outcomes for cataractous eyes measured with SS-OCT optical biometers available on the market. A comprehensive analysis of the available data was performed, focusing on parameters such as the sample of eyes evaluated, failure rates, and specifically, the cataract type when the measurement was not possible. 27 studies were included in this review. In general, SS-OCT biometers lead to only small failure rates when measuring axial length (but in some cases up to 38.49%). In the few cases where the measurement was not possible, the cataract type of the eyes was mainly mature white or grade ≥ IV. SS-OCT optical biometers show good outcomes when measuring axial length in eyes with advanced cataracts.

EXPERT OPINION

We believe that the use of SS-OCT technology may be considered the gold standard for measuring axial length in any type of cataract.

Comparison of the IOLMaster 700 and the Pentacam in the Analysis of the Lens Nuclear Density Before the Cataract Surgery

Purpose: To evaluate the difference of the lens nuclear density measured before and after mydriasis by using the IOLMaster 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) and the Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam HR, Oculus Incorporation, Wetzlar, Germany) and investigate the relationship between the measurement data and the phacoemulsification parameters.

Methods: Patients with age-related nuclear cataracts diagnosed on the slit-lamp examination were enrolled in the age range of 53–76 years. No patient had a history of ocular surgery, laser treatment, or general disorders affecting vision. The mean optical density (OD) was measured by the IOLMaster 700 by using the Image-Pro^® Plus software before and after mydriasis. The Pentacam nucleus densitometry (PND) was obtained automatically from the Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging and compared with OD. The correlation between OD and effective phacoemulsification time (EPT), PND, and EPT were analyzed, respectively.

Results: In this study, 53 eyes of 52 patients were evaluated. Before and after mydriasis, the mean OD values were 64.34 ± 23.31 and 63.81 ± 23.21 pixel units, respectively; the mean PND values were 28.51 ± 11.42 and 25.41 ± 11.31, respectively; and the mean EPT value was 6.24 ± 3.49. The Bland–Altman analysis showed that the lens nuclear densities of the two devices were highly consistent. There was no significant difference in the OD values (t = 0.455, p > 0.05) before and after mydriasis, but the difference has existed in the PND values (t = 2.509, p < 0.05). The OD and PND values were positively correlated with EPT before and after mydriasis (r_OD−Before = 0.604, r_OD−After = 0.593, r_PND−Before = 0.701, and r_PND−After = 0.891, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: The combination of the IOLMaster 700 and the Image-Pro^® Plus software can quantitatively evaluate the degree of the cataract lens opacification. It has good consistency with the Pentacam and is positively correlated with the phacoemulsification parameters. It is expected to become a new method to predict the phacoemulsification parameters before and during cataract surgery.

Refractive Prediction Error in Cataract Surgery Using an Optical Biometer Equipped with Anterior-Segment Optical Coherence Tomography

PURPOSE

To evaluate refractive error after cataract surgery using an optical biometer equipped with anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT).

SETTING

Chukyo Eye Clinic, Nagoya, Japan.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational design.

METHODS

In total, 150 patients with cataract (150 eyes, mean age 73.4 ± 8.2 years, men 76, women 74), who underwent measurement of parameters with the anterior-segment OCT scanners ANTERIONTM (AS-OCTB) and IOL Master 700 (OCTB) before cataract surgery, were enrolled in the study. Refractive prediction error was compared between the two devices using the SRK/T, Haigis, and Barrett UII formulas for IOL power calculation.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between AS-OCTB and OCTB in axial length, mean corneal refractive power, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and corneal diameter. In the SRK/T formula, the arithmetic means of refractive prediction errors for AS-OCTB and OCTB were -0.06 ± 0.46 D and 0.02 ± 0.42 D, respectively. In the Haigis formula, the arithmetic means of refractive prediction errors for AS-OCTB and OCTB were -0.23 ± 0.40 D and -0.08 ± 0.35 D, respectively. In the Barrett UII formula, the arithmetic means of refractive prediction errors for AS-OCTB and OCTB were -0.02 ± 0.38 D and 0.11 ± 0.36 D, respectively. AS-OCTB showed significantly larger refractive prediction error toward myopia than OCTB in all three formulas (P <0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The refractive prediction error using AS-OCTB showed a small difference from that using OCTB. While clinically comparable, the two methods could drive meaningful differences in IOL selection.

Ocular biometry with swept-source optical coherence tomography

This study aimed to summarize the outcomes reported when swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) is used for ocular biometry. A literature search was performed to identify publications reporting clinical outcomes of patients measured with commercial SS-OCT. Twenty-nine studies were included in this review. A comprehensive analysis of the available data was performed, focusing on parameters used for intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in cataract surgery, including keratometry, central corneal thickness, white-to-white distance, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, axial length, IOL power, and pupil diameter. Different metrics for repeatability, reproducibility, and agreement between devices were analyzed. In general, SS-OCT biometers provide excellent repeatability and reproducibility outcomes; however, the differences obtained for some parameters measured in agreement studies should be carefully analyzed to validate the interchangeability between devices. The good outcomes reported lead us to conclude that optical biometers based on SS-OCT technology are likely to become the gold standard for ocular biometry.

Evaluation of Axial Length Measurement Using Enhanced Retina Visualization Mode of the Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Biometer in Dense Cataract

INTRODUCTION

It has been reported that even using the swept-source (SS) optical coherence biometer, it is challenging to measure the axial length (AL) in cases with advanced cataracts. The enhanced retina visualization (ERV) mode, which is equipped with OCTB1 (ARGOS), shifts the peak of measurement sensitivity to the retinal side so that the AL can be measured even if the light energy is attenuated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy and efficacy of the ERV mode in measuring the AL of dense cataracts.

METHODS

This was a single-center retrospective observational case series conducted in Japan. We included 213 eyes of 213 consecutive patients with advanced cataracts who underwent preoperative evaluation. The AL was measured before and after surgery using two SS optical coherence tomography biometers (OCTB1 and OCTB2; IOLMaster 700). Cases in which OCTB1 the standard mode failed to measure AL, OCTB1 with the ERV mode was used instead. Primary outcome measures were the acquisition rate and the AL measurement accuracy using the ERV mode. The χ2 test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare the acquisition rate and differences between pre- and postoperative AL values, respectively. In the ERV subgroup, Bland-Altman plots were used to compare the pre- and postoperative AL values measured using OCTB1-ERV mode. A p-value of less than 5% was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The AL acquisition rate was not significantly different between OCTB1 with the standard mode and OCTB2. The AL of 65 eyes (30.5%) could not be measured using OCTB1 with the standard mode. Conversely, the AL of 51 of these eyes (78.5%) was successfully measured using OCTB1 with the ERV mode. In these 51 eyes, a difference of ≤0.2 mm and of ≤0.1 mm between pre- and postoperative AL measurements was observed in 40 (78.4%) and 30 eyes (58.8%), respectively. The Bland-Altman plot found no systematic error between pre- and postoperative AL values measured using the ERV mode.

CONCLUSION

In patients with dense cataracts, AL measurement using the standard mode of an SS-OCT biometer is challenging. Furthermore, the ERV mode could be promising for AL measurement in such cases.