Clinical agreement among glaucoma experts in the detection of glaucomatous changes of the optic disk using simultaneous stereoscopic photographs

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the clinical agreement in the detection of optic disk changes in patients with glaucoma using simultaneous stereophotographs.

Design

Masked-observer variability study.

Methods

Ten glaucoma specialists examined pairs of simultaneous stereophotographs of glaucomatous and control optic disks to determine whether there were changes compatible with progression of glaucomatous damage.

Results

Intraobserver agreement had a kappa value ranging from 0.55 to 0.78. Interobserver agreement among the glaucoma specialists had a kappa value ranging from 0.34 to 0.68.

Conclusion

Clinical examination of stereophotographs to detect optic disk changes in glaucoma patients has limitations associated with suboptimal reproducibility.