Highlights
- •a comprehensive and balanced assessment of the estimates of the coefficient of variation (COV).
- •COV estimates get predictably more variable as the extent (magnitude) of polymegethism increases.
- •these predictable increases in variability in COV should be considered in study design.
Abstract
Purpose
To assess the impact of using different numbers of cells in calculations of the coefficient
of variation (COV) value for normal and polymegethous endothelia
Methods
Four sets of 20 non-contact specular microscope images obtained from Caucasian individuals
were assessed, and categorized according to the extent of polymegethism, i.e. grade
0 (none), grade 1 (mild), grade 2 (moderate) and grade 3 (substantial). Cell areas
were measured manually and then values for between 2 and 100 cells were progressively
added and averaged to generate COV estimates. These were then assessed in terms of
their relative values (as percentages +/- SD) in relation to the value obtained on
over 100 cells.
Results
For the 4 sets of endothelia with group-mean COV values of 25.8, 33.1, 45.1 and 56.8%,
the reliability of the COV estimates realized asymptotic values of close to ±1.0,
±2.7, ±3.6 and ±5.0% with 90 cells, but with greater uncertainty with few numbers
of cells, e.g. only to within ±3.4, ±5.3, ±6.1 and ±7.9% with 75 cells.
Conclusions
COV estimates for the corneal endothelium are dependent on the number of cells used
in the calculations. It is recommended that every effort should be made to not only
assess 75–100 cells per endothelial image, but that this number should be the same
or very similar for all endothelial images in a particular data set so that the uncertainly
(or estimated proportional error) in the estimates is balanced.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 05, 2020
Accepted:
May 11,
2020
Received in revised form:
May 5,
2020
Received:
February 18,
2020
Identification
Copyright
Crown Copyright © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of British Contact Lens Association. All rights reserved.
