Wide-field imaging of the retina

The retinal periphery is the site of pathology in several eye diseases. Imaging of the peripheral retina offers a way to diagnose, monitor, and evaluate responses to the treatment of these conditions. Traditional fundus cameras have offered a 30- to 50-degree field of view. Recent technology has advanced to provide up to a 200-degree field of view. The utility of this technology in clinical practice continues to be investigated; wide-field color photography, autofluorescence imaging, and fluorescein angiography have been used for imaging peripheral retinal disease. Due to the limitations of this imaging technology and the lack of normative data, however, the clinical role of wide-field imaging remains controversial.