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Smartphone ophthalmoscopy nears imaging quality of fundus camera
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Smartphone ophthalmoscopy images may nearly equal the quality and diagnostic utility of traditional fundus camera images, according to a study.
The prospective, cross-sectional Smartphone Ophthalmoscopy Reliability Trial evaluated 94 consecutive patients who underwent smartphone ophthalmoscopy and fundus camera imaging by two medical students with approximately 15 minutes of training on each technique and one experienced ophthalmology resident. The images were then compared with documented binocular indirect and slit lamp fundus examination findings.
Smartphone images conducted by the ophthalmology resident were higher quality compared with both medical students, but there was no significant difference among the three photographers in fundus camera imaging quality.
In the smartphone group, the optic nerve was most frequently visualized with the highest quality but superior vascular arcade was least frequently visualized with the poorest quality. In the fundus camera group, the optic nerve, superior vascular arcade and inferior vascular arcade were more frequently visualized with higher quality than the macula.
The resident had a higher detection rate of critical fundus findings, detecting 74.3% of critical findings with the smartphone and 77.1% with the fundus camera.
“We envision that in addition to in the emergency department, future use of [smartphone ophthalmoscopy] in inpatient, teaching, telemedicine and resource-poor settings will bring high-quality ophthalmic imaging to domains previously untouched by the ophthalmologist,” the study authors said. – by Kristie L. Kahl
Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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Adam MK, et al. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2015;doi:10.3928/23258160-20150610-06.
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