EFFICACY OF WIDEFIELD RETINAL IMAGING VERSUS INDIRECT OPHTHALMOSCOPY IN DETECTING RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY: A COMPARATIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

Abstract

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of RetCam and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO) as part of the screening process for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the leading cause of preventable blindness in newborns globally. This research will be conducted to determine whether or not these two methods are effective. The retinopathy of prematurity, often known as ROP, is a vasoproliferative condition that, if not identified and treated promptly, can lead to blindness that cannot be reversed. A single-center, double-blind, prospective diagnostic accuracy design was utilized for this research investigation, which was carried out in a tertiary neonatal critical care facility in Cuttack. 400 tests were carried out by two qualified ophthalmologists who used RetCam and BIO to examine 202 preterm infants. Within twenty-four hours after the BIO observation, the RetCam was conducted. An examiner, who wore a disguise, examined the images to determine the presence or absence of plus disease, the stage and zone of the illness, whether the patient had ROP, and whether the disease was treatable. The results showed that RetCam was beneficial for screening ROP owing to its practicality and efficacy in identifying the illness in our context, even though BIO was better at staging and grading the condition. RetCam might be considered an adjunct to BIO for routine ROP screening.