ABSTRACT
Purpose: To investigate the effects of ambient light level variation on spectral domain anterior segment optical coherence tomography (SD-ΟCT)-derived anterior chamber angle metrics in Caucasians versus Asians.
Materials and Methods: Caucasian (n = 24) and Asian participants of Chinese ancestry (n = 24) with open angles on gonioscopy had one eye imaged twice at five strictly controlled, ambient light levels. Ethnicity was self-reported. Light levels were strictly controlled using a light meter at 1.0, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25, and 0 foot candle illumination levels. SD-OCT 5-line raster scans at the inferior 270° irido-corneal angle were measured by two trained, masked graders from the Doheny Image Reading Center using customized Image-J software. Schwalbe’s line-angle opening distance (SL-AOD) and SL-trabecular iris space area (SL-TISA) in different light meter readings (LMRs) between the two groups were compared.
Results: Baseline light SL-AOD and SL-TISA measured 0.464 ± 0.115mm/0.351 ± 0.110mm2 and 0.344 ± 0.118mm/0.257 ± 0.092mm2, respectively, in the Caucasian and the Asian group. SL-AOD and SL-TISA in each LMR were significantly larger in the Caucasian group compared to the Asian group (p < 0.05). Despite this difference in angle size between the groups, there were no statistically significant differences in the degree of change in angle parameters from light to dark (% changes in SL-AOD or SL-TISA between the two groups were statistically similar with all p-values >0.3).
Conclusion: SL-based angle dimensions using SD-OCT are sensitive to changes in ambient illumination in participants with Caucasian and Asian ancestry. Although Caucasian eyes had larger baseline angle opening under bright light conditions, the light-to-dark change in angle dimensions was similar in the two groups.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.