High-Speed Optical Coherence Tomography as a Reliable Adjuvant Tool to Grade Ocular Anterior Chamber Inflammation

In Brief Purpose: To evaluate the high-speed anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) grading of the AS inflammation in patients with ocular inflammation. Methods: A retrospective consecutive case series study. Patients with clinically visible AS inflammation in at least one eye underwent AS-OCT (Visante; Zeiss Meditec) with three to eight line scans per eye, performed by a trained masked examiner. The images were reviewed for hyperreflective spots, noise, and artifact, and these were correlated to clinical examination. Results: Seventy-eight eyes of 41 patients were imaged. Forty-seven eyes had anterior chamber cells on clinical examination, and 68 had hyperreflective spots visible on AS-OCT. There was a significant correlation (Spearman r = 0.7274) between clinical examination and Visante OCT images. Several patterns of inflammation and artifacts were apparent. Conclusion: The AS-OCT is a promising technique for grading anterior chamber cells. There was a significant correlation between clinical examination and Visante grading. In this study, automated grading of the inflammation of the anterior chamber significantly correlates to the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature grading system. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography is a promising technique for grading anterior chamber inflammatory cells.