Effect of light backscattering from anterior segment structures on automated flare meter measurements.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate effect of maximal anterior cortical lens density, iris scatter and anterior chamber depth on laser flare photometry. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with clinical uveitis were enrolled in the study. Clinical flare gradings were recorded upon the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature. Aqueous flare was measured with an automated device (Kowa FM-700). Back-scattering from anterior cortical lens and anterior iris surface was calculated from Scheimpflug images. A curvilinear regression model was used to calculate estimated values for each clinical grade. These values were used to split cases in Group I (laser flare photometry lower than estimated) and Group II (laser flare photometry higher than estimated). Mean anterior chamber depth, pupil aperture, maximal anterior cortical lens density and iris scatter values were compared between two groups. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of clinical flare gradings and ocular parameters on aqueous flare measurements. RESULTS: The study included 228 eyes of 114 cases. Scheimpflug images were obtained from 105 eyes. Estimated aqueous flare measurements (in photons/milliseconds) were 4.87, 8.50, 14.81, 25.83, 45.04 and 136.93 for 0, 0.5+, 1+, 1.5+, 2+ and 3+ clinical flare respectively. Group II had higher maximal anterior cortical lens density than Group I (96.6 ± 37.1 vs 77.9 ± 17.1 pixel unit, p = 0.001). The measured aqueous flare was significantly related to clinical flare, maximal anterior cortical lens density and pupil aperture (adjusted R2: 0.480, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The back-scattered light from anterior cortical lens could affect laser flare photometry measurements. This effect might be quantified by Scheimpflug imaging.

Peripapillary Choroidal Vasculature in Pediatric Eyes with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objectives: Choroidal vasculature change in children with diabetes mellitus is not investigated enough although it could reflect clinical outcome. Methods: Pediatric Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients and healthy controls were retrospectively evaluated. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of the right eyes were analyzed. Choroidal parameters including total choroidal area, luminal area, stromal area, and choroidal vascularity index were measured through image binarization. Results: Twenty eyes of 20 patients were compared with 46 eyes of 46 healthy controls. Mean total choroidal area, luminal area, and stromal area were 1.59±0.35, 1.10±0.24, and 0.50±0.13 mm2 in patients' eyes and 1.52±0.49, 1.05±0.34, and 0.47±0.17 mm2 in healthy eyes. No difference was found in choroidal vascularity indices between patients and healthy eyes (68.8±3.9% vs. 69.4±4.4%, p=0.521). Temporal choroidal vascularity index was significantly higher than its nasal counterpart in healthy eyes (71.8±5.0% vs. 68.6±4.9%, p<0.001) which was not significant in patients' eyes (70.7±4.0% vs. 68.9±5.1%, p=0.067). Temporal quadrant had the highest choroidal vascularity index score among all quadrants in healthy controls (all p<0.05), whereas no choroidal vascularity index difference between quadrants was detected in patients (p=0.75). Conclusion: Peripapillary choroidal vasculature has shown subtle sectoral changes which did not reflect the overall peripapillary OCT section in pediatric T1DM patients when compared with healthy controls.