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Published on: December 31, 2015
Efficacy of wide-field digital retinal imaging for retinopathy of prematurity screening
Shuan Dai1, Kent Chow, Andrea Vincent
1Department of Ophthalmology, Greenlane Clinical Centre, University of Auckland, New Zealand. shuan.dai@gmail.com
Insights
Wide-field digital retinal imaging accurately screens for retinopathy of prematurity. This technology is reliable and efficient for detecting treatment-requiring cases in premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Early detection and treatment of ROP are crucial to prevent vision loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of wide-field digital retinal imaging for ROP screening.
- To determine the sensitivity and specificity of this imaging technique in detecting treatment-requiring ROP.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study was conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit.
- 108 premature infants underwent screening using both wide-field digital retinal imaging and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy.
- Digital images were reviewed independently by a masked reader, with ophthalmoscopy serving as the gold standard.
Main Results:
- Wide-field digital retinal imaging demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 97.9% specificity in detecting treatment-requiring ROP.
- Positive and negative predictive values were 84.6% and 100%, respectively.
- 11 infants with treatment-requiring ROP were identified by both methods.
Conclusions:
- Wide-field digital retinal imaging is an accurate, reliable, and efficient tool for ROP screening.
- Integrating this technology with telemedicine can enhance the delivery, accessibility, quality, and cost-effectiveness of ROP care.
Background:
To evaluate the efficacy of wide-field digital retinal imaging for retinopathy of prematurity screening.
Design:
Retrospective study in a quaternary public neonatal intensive care unit.
Participants:
A total of 108 premature infants screened for retinopathy of prematurity.
Methods:
Retrospective chart and photo review were performed on participants screened by both serial wide-field digital retinal imaging and concurrent binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. Review of captured digital photos was performed independently by a masked reader. Using the binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy findings as the gold standard, the efficacy of wide-field digital retinal imaging in detecting treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity, defined as type 1 prethreshold disease, was determined.
Main Outcome Measures:
Sensitivity and specificity of wide-field digital retinal imaging in detecting treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity.
Results:
Treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity was detected in 11 infants by both binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy examination and telemedicine images taken at the same visit. Wide-field digital retinal imaging has a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 76.2-100%) and a specificity of 97.9% (95% CI: 93.4-99.7%) in detecting infants with treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity. Positive and negative predictive values of wide-field digital retinal imaging were 84.6% (95% CI: 57.8-97.3%) and 100% (95% CI: 96.9-100%), respectively.
Conclusions:
Wide-field digital retinal imaging is accurate, reliable and efficient in detecting treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity. Incorporating wide-field digital retinal imaging with telemedicine in standard retinopathy of prematurity management can potentially improve delivery, accessibility, quality and cost of retinopathy of prematurity care.