Reproducibility of deep learning based scleral spur localisation and anterior chamber angle measurements from anterior segment optical coherence tomography images

AIMS: To apply a deep learning model for automatic localisation of the scleral spur (SS) in anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) images and compare the reproducibility of anterior chamber angle (ACA) width between deep learning located SS (DLLSS) and manually plotted SS (MPSS). METHODS: In this multicentre, cross-sectional study, a test dataset comprising 5166 AS-OCT images from 287 eyes (116 healthy eyes with open angles and 171 eyes with primary angle-closure disease (PACD)) of 287 subjects were recruited from four ophthalmology clinics. Each eye was imaged twice by a swept-source AS-OCT (CASIA2, Tomey, Nagoya, Japan) in the same visit and one eye of each patient was randomly selected for measurements of ACA. The agreement between DLLSS and MPSS was assessed using the Euclidean distance (ED). The angle opening distance (AOD) of 750 µm (AOD750) and trabecular-iris space area (TISA) of 750 µm (TISA750) were calculated using the CASIA2 embedded software. The repeatability of ACA width was measured. RESULTS: The mean age was 60.8±12.3 years (range: 30–85 years) for the normal group and 63.4±10.6 years (range: 40–91 years) for the PACD group. The mean difference in ED for SS localisation between DLLSS and MPSS was 66.50±20.54 µm and 84.78±28.33 µm for the normal group and the PACD group, respectively. The span of 95% limits of agreement between DLLSS and MPSS was 0.064 mm for AOD750 and 0.034 mm(2) for TISA750. The respective repeatability coefficients of AOD750 and TISA750 were 0.049 mm and 0.026 mm(2) for DLLSS, and 0.058 mm and 0.030 mm(2) for MPSS. CONCLUSION: DLLSS achieved comparable repeatability compared with MPSS for measurement of ACA.