Comparison of the precision of the Topcon SP-3000P specular microscope and an ultrasound pachymeter

AIM: To compare the precision of the Topcon SP-3000P noncontact specular microscope (NCSM) and the DGH 500 ultrasound pachymeter (USP). METHODS: Triplicate measurements of central corneal thickness (CCT) for 100 eyes were taken with an NCSM and a USP in 2 visits separated by 1 week. Repeatability was assessed by computing the differences between all 3 readings from each subject. Coefficients of repeatability and reproducibility were computed. RESULTS: Mean CCT as measured by each instrument were: 518.53 ± 34.96 μm (range 417.33–592.67) and 516.94 ± 33.60 μm (range 431.67–582.67) for sessions 1 and 2 respectively, with the NCSM; 546.69 ± 36.62 μm (range 457.33–617.00) and 549.78 ± 35.26 μm (range 454.00–618.67) for sessions 1 and 2 respectively, with the USP. The ultrasound CCT measurements were consistently higher than those obtained with the NCSM in both sessions 28.17 ± 19.20 μm (mean ± SD, session 1) and 32.81 ± 14.04 (mean ± SD, session 2). The repeatability coefficient for the NCSM was better in both sessions than those for USP (±10 μm vs ± 12 μm in session 1 and ±8 μm vs ±10 μm in session 2). The reproducibility coefficient with the NCSM was half that with the USP (±21 μm vs ±41 μm). CONCLUSION: The SP-3000P NCSM is a more precise and reproducible instrument for measurement of CCT than the USP, but both instruments are reliable, useful instruments for measuring CCT.