Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Advances in retinopathy of prematurity imaging
Taku Wakabayashi1, Samir N Patel1, J P Campbell2
1Wills Eye Hospital, Mid Atlantic Retina, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Insights
Advances in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) imaging enhance understanding and management. New technologies enable effective screening, diagnosis, and treatment, reducing childhood blindness globally.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Imaging
- Neonatology
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a primary cause of childhood blindness globally.
- Understanding ROP's progression, including acute phases, regression, reactivation, and adult complications, has improved.
- Recent imaging innovations have significantly advanced ROP research and clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize recent advancements in Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) imaging.
- To highlight the application of these imaging technologies in ROP screening, diagnosis, and management.
- To discuss the integration of new imaging data into updated ROP classification guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent developments in contact and noncontact wide-field fundus imaging devices.
- Inclusion of smartphone-based fundus photography, wide-field fluorescein angiography, and handheld OCT devices.
- Analysis of OCT angiography and its role in ROP assessment.
- Examination of the incorporation of imaging data into the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity, Third Edition (ICROP3).
Main Results:
- New imaging devices provide enhanced visualization of ROP's pathophysiological course.
- Wide-field imaging, OCT, and OCT angiography offer detailed insights into ROP.
- AI demonstrates high diagnostic performance for ROP detection in real-world screening settings.
- Imaging advancements support the implementation of telemedicine and AI-based ROP screening programs.
Conclusions:
- Recent imaging technologies have revolutionized the understanding and clinical management of ROP.
- These innovations are crucial for effective screening, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.
- The integration of advanced imaging and AI promises to further reduce the burden of childhood blindness caused by ROP.
Abstract:
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains the leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Recent advances in ROP imaging have significantly improved our understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiological course of ROP including the acute phase, regression, reactivation, and late complications, known as adult ROP. Recent progress includes various contact and noncontact wide-field imaging devices for fundus imaging, smartphone-based fundus photography, wide-field fluorescein angiography, handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices for wide-field en face OCT images, and OCT angiography. Images taken by those devices were incorporated in the recently updated guidelines of ROP, the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity, Third Edition (ICROP3). ROP imaging has also allowed the real-world adoption of telemedicine- and artificial intelligence (AI)-based screening. Recent study demonstrated proof of concept that AI has a high diagnostic performance for the detection of ROP in a real-world screening. Here, we summarize the recent advances in ROP imaging and their application for screening, diagnosis, and management of ROP.
