Comparison of Tear Meniscus Height Measurements Obtained With the Keratograph and Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Dry Eye.

PURPOSE: To study the repeatability and reproducibility of tear meniscus height (TMH) measurements obtained with a keratograph and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) and to assess their agreement in patients with dry eye.

METHODS: Sixty-four eyes with dry eye were analyzed by the Schirmer test, tear breakup time test, and fluorescein corneal staining. The TMH was measured 3 times using both devices by 2 different examiners. The repeatability and reproducibility of measurements were assessed by within-subject standard deviation (Sw), repeatability (2.77 Sw), coefficient of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficient.

RESULTS: The TMH measured with the keratograph and FD-OCT was 0.232 ± 0.074 mm and 0.308 ± 0.129 mm, respectively (P < 0.01). A close correlation was found between the TMH measured with the keratograph and FD-OCT (r = 0.343). There was a negative correlation between the mean TMH and differences in the TMH measured with the keratograph and FD-OCT (r = 0.359). Both measurements correlated with the Schirmer test score, tear breakup time, and corneal staining score with P < 0.01. Intraexaminer CoV, 2.77 Sw, and intraclass correlation coefficient of the TMH were <6.5%, <0.059 mm, and >0.986, respectively, and interexaminer CoV and 2.77 Sw were 5.58% and 0.039 mm, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the TMH measured with the keratograph tended to be lower than that measured with FD-OCT, the TMH measured with the keratograph closely correlated with the TMH measured with FD-OCT and conventional tests and had good repeatability and reliability.