Abstract
Purpose: :
to explore the possibility of IR imaging in making the right diagnosis in retinal diseases.
Methods: :
a retrospective analysis of FA and IR images (Heidelberg Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering) of 84 eyes with normal and different retinal diseases was performed by three independent FA masked examiners. Every patient was submitted to a infrared retinography (IR) and a fluorangiography (FA). The strength of agreement between an expert observer and two medium experienced residents was evaluated with IR imaging for choroidal neovascularization, venous thrombosis, geographic chorioretinal athrophy, macular edema, papilledema, optic pit, central serous chorioretinopathy, nevus, melanoma, drusen, macular pucker, Stargardt disease, macular disthrophy diagnosed by means FA. Besides we examine the possibility to identify single features such as intraretinal fluid, chorioretinal athrophy and retinal pigment epithelium tear.
Results: :
the strenght of agreement in diagnosis between FA and IR-imaging analysed by the three masked observers was Substantial (Kappa test Cohen, Landis and Koch) with k = 0.806048, p<0,0001. In the case of the single expert observer the agreement was Almost Perfect with k = 0.874788, p<0,0001. The agreement between FA and IR-imaging in detecting specific features by an expert observer was Almost Perfect with highest kappa measurement: K = 0.899904, p<0,0001.
Conclusions: :
IR-imaging is a fast non-invasive imaging technique able to detect retinal pathologies and especially specific features such as intraretinal fluid, chorioretinal athrophy and retinal pigment epithelium tear. This uninvasive tool could be use as a first approach in detection of macular diseases.
Keywords: imaging/image analysis: clinical • retina