Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive Surgery
Following refractive surgery, the cornea is denervated and re-innervated, hence a reproducible tool to objectively quantify this change is warranted. This study aimed to determine the repeatability and reproducibility of corneal nerve quantification between automated (ACCMetrics) and manual software...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/7/493 |
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| author | Jia Ying Chin Lily Wei Yun Yang Angel Jung Se Ji Mario Nubile Leonardo Mastropasqua John Carson Allen Jodhbir S. Mehta Yu-Chi Liu |
| author_facet | Jia Ying Chin Lily Wei Yun Yang Angel Jung Se Ji Mario Nubile Leonardo Mastropasqua John Carson Allen Jodhbir S. Mehta Yu-Chi Liu |
| author_sort | Jia Ying Chin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Following refractive surgery, the cornea is denervated and re-innervated, hence a reproducible tool to objectively quantify this change is warranted. This study aimed to determine the repeatability and reproducibility of corneal nerve quantification between automated (ACCMetrics) and manual software (CCMetrics) following refractive surgery. A total of 1007 in vivo confocal microscopy images from 20 post-small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) or post-laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) patients were evaluated by two independent observers using CCMetrics for corneal nerve fibre density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), and corneal nerve fibre length (CNFL). Intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility and repeatability, as well as agreement and correlation between the measurements obtained by ACCMetrics and CCMetrics, were assessed. We found that CNFL demonstrated the best intra- and inter-observer agreement followed by CNFD (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.799 and 0.740, respectively for CNFL; 0.757 and 0.728 for CNFD). CNBD demonstrated poorest intra- and inter-observer ICC. There was an underestimation in ACCMetrics measurements compared to CCMetrics measurements, although the differences were not significant. Our data suggested that both automated and manual methods can be used as reliable tools for the evaluation of corneal nerve status following refractive surgery. However, the measurements obtained with different methods are not interchangeable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:22:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3e0cc57e34f746b0bd117714208f4e40 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:22:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-3e0cc57e34f746b0bd117714208f4e402023-11-20T07:13:49ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182020-07-0110749310.3390/diagnostics10070493Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive SurgeryJia Ying Chin0Lily Wei Yun Yang1Angel Jung Se Ji2Mario Nubile3Leonardo Mastropasqua4John Carson Allen5Jodhbir S. Mehta6Yu-Chi Liu7Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 168751, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 168751, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 168751, SingaporeOphthalmic Clinic, University “G d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, ItalyOphthalmic Clinic, University “G d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Biostatistics, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 168751, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 168751, SingaporeFollowing refractive surgery, the cornea is denervated and re-innervated, hence a reproducible tool to objectively quantify this change is warranted. This study aimed to determine the repeatability and reproducibility of corneal nerve quantification between automated (ACCMetrics) and manual software (CCMetrics) following refractive surgery. A total of 1007 in vivo confocal microscopy images from 20 post-small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) or post-laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) patients were evaluated by two independent observers using CCMetrics for corneal nerve fibre density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), and corneal nerve fibre length (CNFL). Intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility and repeatability, as well as agreement and correlation between the measurements obtained by ACCMetrics and CCMetrics, were assessed. We found that CNFL demonstrated the best intra- and inter-observer agreement followed by CNFD (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.799 and 0.740, respectively for CNFL; 0.757 and 0.728 for CNFD). CNBD demonstrated poorest intra- and inter-observer ICC. There was an underestimation in ACCMetrics measurements compared to CCMetrics measurements, although the differences were not significant. Our data suggested that both automated and manual methods can be used as reliable tools for the evaluation of corneal nerve status following refractive surgery. However, the measurements obtained with different methods are not interchangeable.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/7/493corneal nervesrefractive surgeryautomated quantificationmanual quantification |
| spellingShingle | Jia Ying Chin Lily Wei Yun Yang Angel Jung Se Ji Mario Nubile Leonardo Mastropasqua John Carson Allen Jodhbir S. Mehta Yu-Chi Liu Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive Surgery Diagnostics corneal nerves refractive surgery automated quantification manual quantification |
| title | Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive Surgery |
| title_full | Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive Surgery |
| title_fullStr | Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive Surgery |
| title_full_unstemmed | Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive Surgery |
| title_short | Validation of the Use of Automated and Manual Quantitative Analysis of Corneal Nerve Plexus Following Refractive Surgery |
| title_sort | validation of the use of automated and manual quantitative analysis of corneal nerve plexus following refractive surgery |
| topic | corneal nerves refractive surgery automated quantification manual quantification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/7/493 |
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