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Updated: Feb 13, 2026
Application of Optical Coherence Tomography to a Mouse Model of Retinopathy
Published on: January 12, 2022
A national telemedicine network for retinopathy of prematurity screening
Diego Ossandón1, Mario Zanolli1, Ricardo Stevenson2
1Ophthalmology Department, Hospital de niños Roberto del Río, Santiago, Chile; Ophthalmology Department, Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
Insights
Telemedicine screening effectively identified infants needing treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Chile. High-quality retinal images enabled accurate ROP staging and patient management.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent severe visual outcomes.
- Telemedicine offers a potential solution for ROP screening in underserved areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a telemedicine system for ROP screening in Chile.
- To assess the system's utility in identifying infants requiring treatment for ROP.
- To report the outcomes of ROP screening using telemedicine.
Main Methods:
- Premature infants (<32 weeks GA, <1500g BW) from 11 NICUs were included.
- A nonphysician operator captured retinal images using a telemedicine system.
- Two independent ROP experts reviewed images for ROP staging and treatment referral.
Main Results:
- 2,048 eyes of 1,024 infants were screened.
- 5,263 telemedicine examinations were performed with 98% good image quality.
- 4% of infants (42) were referred for treatment; no complications arose in successfully treated cases.
Conclusions:
- Telemedicine screening is a useful tool for ROP detection in developing countries.
- The system successfully identified infants requiring treatment for ROP.
- High-quality imaging and expert review facilitate timely ROP management.
Purpose:
To report the results of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening by a telemedicine system in Chile and evaluate its usefulness for referring patients who require treatment.
Methods:
Premature infants at risk of developing ROP from 11 neonatal intensive care units were included. Screening was performed on all infants born at a gestational age of <32 weeks and/or birth weight of <1500 g. A trained nonphysician operator used an imaging system to capture retinal images, which were reviewed by two independent ROP experts. All infants that required treatment were referred for further evaluation.
Results:
The study included 2,048 eyes of 1,024 premature infants. Mean gestational age was 28.8 ± 2.2 weeks, and mean birth weight was 1128 ± 279 g. A total of 5,263 telemedicine examinations were performed and reported. The average number of image sets per patient was 2.6 ± 2.5. Of the 5,263 images, 4,903 (93%) were recorded to at least the end of zone II; 5,172 (98%) were graded as having good quality, allowing for staging of ROP disease. Forty-two infants (4%) were referred for treatment. Discharged patients with ROP type 2 that regressed did not present with any complications or adverse effects during 6 months' follow-up.
Conclusions:
Our study demonstrates the utility of telemedicine screening for ROP with ophthalmologist readers in a developing country. Telemedicine screening was able to detect treatment-requiring ROP. Most of the images had good quality and showed the end of zone II, two variables sufficient to discharge patients.
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