Diagnostic accuracy of retinal optical coherence tomography in children with a newly diagnosed brain tumour

Myrthe A. Nuijts*, Inge Stegeman, Giorgio L. Porro, Carlien A.M. Bennebroek, Tom van Seeters, Frank A. Proudlock, Antoinette Y.N. Schouten – van Meeteren, Saskia M. Imhof

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

Purpose: To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and macular ganglion cell layer–inner plexiform layer (GCL-IPL) thickness measurements to discriminate an abnormal visual function (i.e. abnormal age-based visual acuity and/or visual field defect) in children with a newly diagnosed brain tumour. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis of a prospective longitudinal nationwide cohort study was conducted at four hospitals in the Netherlands, including the national referral centre for paediatric oncology. Patients aged 0–18 years with a newly diagnosed brain tumour and reliable visual acuity and/or visual field examination and optical coherence tomography were included. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Results: Of 115 patients included in the study (67 [58.3%] male; median age 10.6 years [range, 0.2–17.8 years]), reliable RNFL thickness and GCL-IPL thickness measurements were available in 92 patients (80.0%) and 84 patients (73.0%), respectively. The sensitivity for detecting an abnormal visual function was 74.5% for average RNFL thickness and 41.7% for average GCL-IPL thickness at a specificity of 44.5% and 82.9%, respectively. The PPV and NPV were 33.0% and 82.6% for the average RNFL thickness and 57.1% and 82.2% for the average GCL-IPL thickness. Conclusion: An abnormal visual function was discriminated correctly by using the average RNFL thickness in seven out of ten patients and by using the average GCL-IPL thickness in four out of ten patients. The relatively high NPVs signified that patients with normal average RNFL thickness and average GCL-IPL thickness measurements had a relative high certainty of a normal visual function.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)658-669
Number of pages12
JournalActa Ophthalmologica
Volume101
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2023

Keywords

  • Humans
  • Male
  • Child
  • Female
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells/pathology
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Prospective Studies
  • Cohort Studies
  • Vision Disorders/pathology

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