Living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can lead to many other health issues, especially if your blood sugar is not kept in a healthy range. What many diabetics do not take seriously enough is the effect it can have on your vision. One of the leading causes of blindness for Americans with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. Unfortunately, it is also the most common eye disease associated with diabetes. Early eye disease detection is critical if you are diabetic and wish to maintain your eyesight.

Understanding Diabetic Retinopathy At the back of your eye is the retina, which senses light and is vital for healthy vision. The retina has many very small blood vessels which can be damaged easier than most of your other blood vessels. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when these blood vessels undergo changes as a result of diabetes.

The Silent Vision Thief Diabetic retinopathy is often called a “silent thief” because it is rare for a patient to notice changes in their vision until after the disease has progressed significantly enough to cause permanent damage. Left untreated, this eye disease goes through stages of progression that rob the retina of nourishment, eventually …

In several ocular diseases, the peripheral retina is the site of pathology. From conditions such as diabetic retinopathy to familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR), to retinal tears and detachments, the peripheral retina has been an area of interest for many eye care professionals throughout the ages.

Searching for a better means of treating conditions of the peripheral retina has been a challenge for researchers for well over a century, and during that time, advancements in imaging technology have allowed for easier evaluation by use of photography.

Listed below is an abbreviated history from the Review of Ophthalmology of how imaging the peripheral retina has evolved into the ultra-widefield imaging of today:

— 1851- The first ophthalmoscope was invented by Hermann Von Hemholtz.

— 1926- The first fundus camera that could provide a 20 degree view of the retina is invented, allowing ocular fundus structure documentation. Many years later, a camera with the capability of a 30 degree view would be the new standard. Although this allowed a view of the posterior pole and the optic nerve, periphery viewing was very limited.

— In time, doctors were able to use a regular fundus camera …

A 49 year-old Caucasian male presented a recent decrease in vision. For the past 12 years, he had a history of chronic central serous retinopathy and his vision had always recovered after each recurrence. At this visit, his visual acuity was 20/80 in the right eye and 20/40 in the left eye. The patient had no other systemic diagnosis.

Examination

optomap® af images were obtained and showed multifocal areas of hyper- and hypofluorescence reaching into the mid-periphery. The ‘gutter-like’ appearances of the broad hyperfluorescent areas are characteristic of chronic central serous retinopathy. Additionally, FD-OCT images were acquired and showed massive fibrinous exudates in the subretinal space. The patient underwent a fluorescein angiogram after optomap af images were acquired, which confirmed the diagnosis of CSR.

Discussion

Multimodal imaging was required to determine the diagnosis of CSR. The mottled appearance of the focal lesions and the broad hyperfluorescent streaks on the optomap af images are indicative of chronic central serous retinopathy as well as the “smoke-stack” leakage in the late fluorescein angiogram images. The benefit of the widefield optomap images is it can help identify patterns which are not discernible when focusing on a …

A 15 year-old African American female with a history of bilateral threshold retinopathy of prematurity was seen for a routine annual visit. As an infant, she was treated with scatter laser photocoagulation two months after her birth. At this visit, she was asymptomatic with a visual acuity of 20/25 in the right eye and 20/15 in the left eye.

Examination

optomap^® color images were obtained and showed a reddish orange, slightly elevated lesion at 2 o’clock in the far periphery of the right eye, anterior to the equator. Images also confirmed areas of previous laser treatment in the temporal periphery. optomap fluorescein angiogram images were obtained and showed the lesion to be hyperfluorescent and that the lesion had feeding and draining retinal vessels. The left eye did not have similar lesions, but did have evidence of previous laser treatment in the temporal periphery.

Discussion

optomap color and fluorescein angiography were used to document the appearance and investigate the characteristics of the peripheral lesion. The lesion was determined to be reactive angiomatous proliferation – a rare vascular proliferation which has been reported to occur in various chronic retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa …

By now you are likely aware that optomap® ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging technology is the only clinically backed ultra-widefield retinal imaging technology that allows you to see up to 200 degrees of the retina in a single capture. UWF lets you see more and diagnose eye problems earlier, resulting in better patient outcomes.

If you are using optomap® retinal imaging in your practice, there are some marketing tools you should take advantage of to maximize your return on investment. You may wish to keep the following checklist in mind to help optimize optomap acceptance rates in your practice.

Entrance and Reception Room

— Is your optomap decal applied to your door or front window? — Have you set up the optomap reception program to run on your television in the reception room? — Do you have the current version of the patient brochures displayed where they will be easily noticed? — Have the current posters been put up for patients to see while they are in the waiting room? — Are the patient fact sheets displayed so that they are easily found?

Behind the Scenes

Website:

— Have you featured optomap retinal imaging on your …

Eyecare professionals generally recommend that adults should have a comprehensive eye exam every two years and children and seniors should have one annually. Unfortunately, many cases of lost or damaged vision occur each year because people neglect eye exams until they experience a problem with their vision.

By the time vision changes are noticed, the damage could be permanent. While vision alone is a significant reason to maintain regular exams, a retinal screen could also help save your life.

Here are some of the ailments and illnesses a comprehensive eye exam, including a retinal screen, can detect:

— Glaucoma – Usually caused by extra pressure in the eye, glaucoma rarely has any symptoms before damage to your optic nerve has already happened. A loss in peripheral vision and, at more advanced stages, a loss in central vision is permanent and unable to be restored. Your doctor would be able to detect changes that signify glaucoma during a regular eye exam and begin treatment immediately to get the best results for your vision. — Diabetic Retinopathy – Poorly or uncontrolled blood sugar can cause damage the vessels in the eye resulting in diabetic retinopathy. While blindness can be caused …

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and it’s a great chance for people to increase awareness and encourage others to have their eyes tested regularly. Labeled as “the sneak thief of sight,” glaucoma currently affects 2.7 million people in America, with that number expected to nearly double by 2030. Glaucoma can damage as much as 40 percent of a person’s vision before they realize there is a problem, and by that point, the damage is permanent.

If any of your vision is lost due to glaucoma, it cannot be restored. This is why eyecare professionals emphasize the need for regular eye exams to protect ones eye health. Here are some facts about glaucoma that may help you develop a better understanding of this eye condition:

— There are several risk factors that increase your odds of contracting glaucoma. Some of these include a family history of the disease, extreme nearsightedness and aging eyes. — Vision loss due to glaucoma starts in your peripheral vision, which makes it difficult to detect on your own. Gradually it will progress to what people refer to as “tunnel vision” and may affect your central vision as well. — The only …

For more than forty years, Dr. Anthony Clark of Clark Optometric Center has balanced the optical and medical aspects of being an OD, and has strived to use the highest levels of technology in an effort to provide consistent excellence to his patients.

Dr. Clark never wanted to be the last practice in town with newer technology, and this consistent approach has been a practice builder. Accordingly, when Optos introduced Daytona with ultra-widefield retinal imaging, he was one of the first practices to purchase.

New technology can certainly help build a practice and improve patient flow and profitability. Dr. Clark recommends including the optomap® as part of an annual comprehensive eye exam. By doing so, eye care professionals are able to create a complete patient record that, over time, helps identify changes to the retina.

Recently he saw a 56-year-old patient who never misses her annual appointment. She had no new complaints, with no change in refraction and 20/20 acuity in each eye. All other findings were normal and unchanged – that is, until he looked at her optomap, where he saw what he thought was a choroidal nevus in the right eye that he didn’t remember …

Optos is making it easier than ever for Ophthalmologists and Vitreo-retinal specialists to explore ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging technology before investing in the equipment for their practice.

With apps available for both Apple® and Android tablets, you can see first-hand the detailed images optomap provides. Interactive features, case studies, testimonials, and quizzes make the optomap mobile app an interesting and engaging way to educate yourself on UWF.

To create the high-resolution images, optomap utilizes red and green lasers which are directed through a virtual scanning point in the eye. The lights then return through the optical scanning system and create a highly detailed image of up to 82 percent of the retina. Because many eye diseases present in the periphery, UWF imaging allows you see more, discover more, and treat your patients more effectively.

Download the optomap mobile app for your Apple® tablet on iTunes, or for your Android tablet using this Google Play.

Please contact us if you are interested in learning more on how to partner with Optos.

Image Source: Optos

Further reinforcing their clinical and technological reputation, Black and Lizars now offers optomap^® retinal imaging at ten of their UK practices. They believe that with their investment in Optos’ revolutionary ultra-widefield (UWF™) technology, they can now diagnose conditions earlier and provide better outcomes for their patients. Black and Lizars have the largest network of optomap UWF technology in the UK.

optomap provides eyecare professionals with a digital, high-definition image of more than 80 percent of the retina, in a single capture, and without dilation as compared to standard retinal imaging only captures between 10-60 percent of the retina. The clinicians at Black and Lizars also appreciate the ability to utilize autofluorescence images which can highlight retinal pathology that may not be found by other forms of retinal imaging. The ability to diagnose and monitor disease with such fine detail has been truly revolutionary for their practices.

The optomap is being offered by Black and Lizars as part of their “Enhanced Eye Exam”. Black and Lizars feels that this type of exam, which goes above the standard NHS exam, will allow for earlier diagnosis of AMD, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and other vision-threatening disease while …