Evaluation of Reproducibility of Measurements of Peripapillary Blood Flow with Laser Speckle Flowgraphy in Healthy and POAG Subjects

Abstract

Background Peripapillary blood flow is of diagnostic value in glaucoma.

Material and Methods We investigated the reproducibility of peripapillary blood flow measurements in healthy individuals and in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients with the Nidek laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG)-NAVI system. Blood flow was calculated as the mean of vascular area (MV), mean of tissue area (MT), and mean of overall flow (MA). Intra-rater, inter-session, and inter-rater reproducibility were assessed by determining the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variance (COV).

Results There were 28 healthy subjects and 16 patients with OAG who participated in this prospective single-center trial. ICC and COV of intra-rater reproducibility were assessed in MV as 0.901; 6.424, MT as 0.909; 4.025, and MA as 0.965; 4.168. Inter-session reproducibility yielded ICC and COV values of MV (0.834; 9.223), MT (0.904; 6.215), MA (0.909; 7.069). Inter-rater reproducibility was computed for MV as 0.78; 9.758, MT as 0.890; 7.210, and MA as 0.888; 6.942. There was a significant difference in MA (p = 0.0184) between the healthy individuals (mean 36.299) and the OAG group (mean 24.944), which was not observed for MV (p = 0.0735) or MT (p = 0.1351).

Conclusion High reproducibility of measurements of peripapillary blood flow with the LSFG system was demonstrated in both groups. There is a difference in peripapillary blood flow between healthy controls and OAG patients.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund Die peripapilläre Perfusion hat einen diagnostischen Wert beim Glaukom.

Material und Methoden Wir untersuchten die Reproduzierbarkeit der Messung der peripapillären Durchblutung bei gesunden Personen und bei Patienten mit Offenwinkelglaukom (OAG). Die peripapilläre Durchblutung wurde durch die Nidek Laser Speckle Flowgraphy (LSFG) im NAVI-System ermittelt. Der Blutfluss wurde als Mittelwert des Gefäßbereichs (MV), Mittelwert des Gewebebereichs (MT) und Mittelwert des Gesamtflusses (MA) berechnet. Die Intrarater-, Intersession- und Interrater-Reproduzierbarkeit wurden durch Bestimmung des Intraklassen-Korrelationskoeffizienten (ICC) und des Variationskoeffizienten (COV) bewertet.

Ergebnisse 28 gesunde Probanden und 16 Patienten mit OAG nahmen an dieser prospektiven Single-Center-Studie teil. Der ICC und COV der Intrarater-Reproduzierbarkeit wurden für MV mit (0,901; 6,424), MT (0,909; 4,025), MA (0,965; 4,168) berechnet. Die Intersession-Reproduzierbarkeit ergab ICC- und COV-Werte von MV (0,834; 9,223), MT (0,904; 6,215), MA (0,909; 7,069). Die Interrater-Reproduzierbarkeit wurde für MV mit 0,78; 9,758, MT 0,890; 7,210, MA 0,888; 6,942 berechnet. Es zeigte sich ein signifikanter Unterschied für MA (p = 0,0184) zwischen den gesunden Probanden (Mittelwert 36,299) und der OAG-Gruppe (Mittelwert 24,944). Ein Signifikanzniveau, dass sich nicht für MV (p = 0,0735) oder MT (p = 0,1351) darstellte.

Schlussfolgerung Es wurde eine hohe Reproduzierbarkeit der Messungen der peripapillären Durchblutung mit dem LSFG-System in beiden Gruppen nachgewiesen. Es zeigt sich ein Unterschied im peripapillären Blutfluss zwischen gesunden Probanden und OAG-Patienten.

Keywords

glaucoma - perfusion - laser speckle flowgraphy

Schlüsselwörter

Glaukom - Perfusion - Laser Speckle Flowgraphy

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