The use of ultra-widefield imaging for the management of diabetic retinopathy

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Widefield and ultra-widefield (uwf) retinal imaging of diabetic retinopathy can provide information outside that obtained by standard retinal imaging and has the potential to improve the clinical management of diabetic retinopathy.

Areas covered: The evidence for clinical benefit of ultra-widefield imaging has been reviewed and put into context in relation to other retinal imaging systems. A medline search was performed using the relevant key words. Several variants of the term ‘ultra widefield’ were searched in relation to diabetic retinopathy imaging as no standard term has been used over time.

Expert commentary: Uwf colour and fluorescein angiography combined with optical coherence tomography images, read by a reading centre, provide the most accurate way of assessing the retina. Widefield optical coherence tomography angiography is also becoming available. The use of these technologies can provide better screening, referral refinement, more efficient and accurate clinic assessments and alter management by making it less likely that pathology is missed. Potentially they can lead to alternative treatment approaches, such as retina sparing peripheral laser, but this is yet to be proved. Automated reading of such images is in development.

KEYWORDS:

• Ultra-widefield imaging
• widefield imaging
• wide-field
• ultra widefield
• ultra-wide-field
• optical coherence tomography
• optical coherence tomography angiography
• diabetic retinopathy

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.