Interobserver agreement between central topography and Scheimpflug tomography for premium intraocular lens selection

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the inter-observer agreement and reliability of central topography (CT) of IOL Master 700 with that of Pentacam HR, as a screening tool for determining the suitability for premium (toric, monofocal and presbyopia correcting) intraocular lens (IOL) implants. Setting: Nethradhama Superspeciality Eye Hospital, Bangalore, India. Method: 200 eyes of eligible patients undergoing unilateral or bilateral phacoemulsification with premium IOL's were included in the study. Preoperatively, IOL Master 700 CT and Pentacam scans were performed for corneal topography evaluation. 2 experienced clinicians were randomised to interpret the axial map of either of the scans at a time and their responses were then enclosed in an envelope, and forwarded to a third observer for analysis. If there was a conflict, final decision was based on the interpretation of the Pentacam scan. Results: Of the total scans interpreted by the 2 observers, 77.5% (n = 155) showed agreement whereas 22.5% (n = 45) showed disagreement. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (NPV) of IOL Master 700 CT in diagnosing irregular corneas when compared with Pentacam HR, was 72.73%, 78.09%, 29.09% and 95.86% respectively. The Cohen's κ inter-observer agreement value was 0.44, signifying a moderate degree of agreement, which was statistically significant (P < .00). Conclusions: High NPV of IOL Master CT suggested that the device efficiently ruled out irregular corneas, while any suspicious scan should be confirmed with Pentacam HR or a similar device for appropriate decision-making regarding premium IOL selection. Trial Registration Number: CTRI/2021/11/038053.