ABSTRACT
Purpose: To assess the agreement in the white-to-white (WTW) measurement with two different devices, the reproducibility and the probability of confusing sizing (PCS) in selecting a different implantable collamer lens (ICL). Study Design: Retrospective observational case series. Methods: Images of 192 eyes were captured with both devices. The WTW was measured automatically (OA) and manually (OM) with the Orbscan and Keratograph (KA and KM) by one examiner who repeated a total of four measures. A second examiner conducted a single manual measure for each device over the same image. The ICL sizing was computed for each measure of WTW and the PCS was calculated as the percentage of cases for which the confronted or repeated measure resulted in a different size of the ICL. The critical WTWs with highest PCS were identified. Results: KM overestimated the WTW versus OM in 0.13 ± 0.18 mm (P < 0.001) but not in the automated method comparison, 0.01 ± 0.19 mm (P = 0.58). Inter-examiner reproducibility (R) was higher with OM than with KM, and the intra-examiner R decreased with the average of two measures in both cases. The PCS was higher with the increase of mean differences, the limits of agreement (LoAs), and R. WTWs from 11.1 to 11.2 mm, 11.6 to 11.7 mm, and 12.3 to 12.4 mm resulted in higher PCS. Conclusion: The mean difference is not enough to apply conversions between devices and the LoAs and R should be considered. Special attention should be taken for WTWs with higher PCS.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To evaluate preliminarily and compare the level of plasmatic biomarkers of vascular risk in patients with and without exudative age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and to relate it to vascular resistance alterations in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA), posterior temporal ciliary artery (PTCA), and posterior nasal ciliary artery (PNCA). Methods: Color Doppler imaging of the OA, CRA, PTCA, and PNCA was performed in 30 eyes of 30 cataract patients (control group) as well as in 30 eyes of 30 patients with naive exudative ARMD (study group), measuring the peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and Pourcelot resistive index (RI). Likewise, in both groups, a blood test was performed to determine the plasmatic levels of homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP), B12 vitamin, and folic acid. Results: A positive and significant correlation was found between the level of CRP and RI of the OA in the ARMD group (r = 0.498, P = 0.005), with an increased RI in all arteries compared to controls, although differences only reached statistical significance for the PTCA (P = 0.035). Likewise, a significantly lower EDV for the CRA was found in ARMD eyes compared to controls (P = 0.041). In the study group, significantly higher plasmatic levels of homocysteine (P = 0.042) and CRP (P = 0.046) were found. In contrast, no significant differences were found between groups in the levels of folic acid (P = 0.265) and B12 vitamin (P = 0.520). Conclusion: The decrease of the choroidal perfusion related to hyperhomocysteinemia, and increase in the CRP plasmatic levels may play an etiological role on the exudative ARMD. This should be investigated in future studies with larger samples of patients.