Need for manual segmentation in optical coherence tomography angiography of neovascular age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To compare the characteristics of eyes that had manual vs. automated segmentation of choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

METHODS: All patients with CNVM underwent OCTA using the Zeiss Angioplex Cirrus 5000. Slabs of the avascular outer retina, outer retina to choriocapillaris (ORCC) region and choriocapillaris were generated. Manual segmentation was done when there were significant segmentation artifacts. Presence of activity of CNVM was adjudged by the presence of subretinal fluid (SRF) on structural OCT and was compared to activity detected on en face OCTA slabs based on well-defined criteria.

RESULTS: Eighty-one eyes of 81 patients were recruited of which manual segmentation was required in 46 (57%). Eyes with automated segmentation had significantly more CNVM in the ORCC (75%) whereas those with manual segmentation had deeper CNVM (sub-RPE = 22%, intra-PED = 22%) (p<0.001). Twenty eyes (25%) were found to have active CNVM on both the structural OCT and OCTA while an additional 19 eyes were presumed to have active CNVM on OCTA alone. There was only modest concordance between disease activity detected using structural OCT and OCTA (Kappa = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.30 to 0.64).

CONCLUSIONS: Manual segmentation of OCTA is required in more than 50% eyes with CNVM and this progressively increases with increasing depth of CNVM location from the ORCC to below the RPE. There is moderate concordance between OCTA and structural OCT in determining CNVM activity.