Diagnostic Accuracy of Pediatrician-performed Digital Retinal Imaging with 3nethra neo for ROP Screening

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the accuracy of pediatrician-performed wide-field digital retinal imaging (WFDRI) for diagnosing Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), as compared to binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO) as the reference standard.

METHODS

Eligible infants undergoing ROP screening were enrolled consecutively. BIO was performed by trained ophthalmologists, followed by WFDRI (using "3nethra neo" camera) by a pediatrician. An expert pediatric ophthalmologist reviewed de-identified images for quality, presence, and severity of ROP. She was masked to the findings of BIO and the pediatrician. Diagnostic accuracy for detecting any ROP, ROP requiring treatment (Type 1), and ROP requiring referral (Type 1 or 2) were calculated for WFDRI, considering BIO as the reference standard.

RESULTS

The analysis included 427 eyes. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic accuracy, and diagnostic odds ratio of WFDRI were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.93), 0.89 (0.85, 0.92), 7.8 (5.7, 10.9), 0.14 (0.09, 0.21), 0.89 (0.85, 0.91), and 58.3 (31, 110) respectively for detection of 'any ROP'. For detecting ROP requiring treatment (Type 1), the sensitivity, specificity, NLR, and diagnostic accuracy were 0.90 (0.75, 0.97), 1.00 (0.99, 1.00), 0.11 (0.04, 0.27), and 0.99 (0.98, 1.00) respectively. For ROP requiring referral, the sensitivity, specificity, NLR, and diagnostic accuracy of pediatrician-performed WFDRI were 0.92 (0.80, 0.98), 1.00 (0.99, 1.00), 0.08 (0.03, 0.21), and 0.99 (0.98, 1.00) respectively. No serious adverse events were noted. The pediatrician and ophthalmologist had a near-perfect (k-1.00) and strong (k-0.88) agreement for ROP requiring treatment and any ROP, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatrician-performed WFDRI is feasible, safe, and has excellent diagnostic accuracy for identifying ROP requiring treatment.

Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening of Preterm Infants With Icteric Vitreous

Purpose: To present 2 cases of premature newborns with hyperbilirubinemia and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) who could not be examined properly to assess for disease progression because of vitreous opacification in the setting of an icteric vitreous and frail health status. Methods: The cases and their findings were analyzed. Results: Given the sickness of the neonates and examination difficulty, intravitreal bevacizumab was administered in both eyes to prevent disease progression. During subsequent examinations, the patients remained stable until discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit and were followed in the outpatient clinic without complication. Conclusions: The ROP and vitreous opacification in our cases were thought to be caused by hyperbilirubinemia. Because of vitreous opacification, these patients could not be properly examined for ROP. Treatment with an intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injection might be considered to delay disease development until the newborn is healthier and able to be examined.

Variability in Plus Disease Diagnosis using Single and Serial Images

PURPOSE

To assess changes in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) diagnosis in single and serial retinal images.

DESIGN

Cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Cases of ROP recruited from the Imaging and Informatics in Retinopathy of Prematurity (i-ROP) consortium evaluated by 7 graders.

METHODS

Seven ophthalmologists reviewed both single and 3 consecutive serial retinal images from 15 cases with ROP, and severity was assigned as plus, preplus, or none. Imaging data were acquired during routine ROP screening from 2011 to 2015, and a reference standard diagnosis was established for each image. A secondary analysis was performed using the i-ROP deep learning system to assign a vascular severity score (VSS) to each image, ranging from 1 to 9, with 9 being the most severe disease. This score has been previously demonstrated to correlate with the International Classification of ROP. Mean plus disease severity was calculated by averaging 14 labels per image in serial and single images to decrease noise.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Grading severity of ROP as defined by plus, preplus, or no ROP.

RESULTS

Assessment of serial retinal images changed the grading severity for > 50% of the graders, although there was wide variability. Cohen's kappa ranged from 0.29 to 1.0, which showed a wide range of agreement from slight to perfect by each grader. Changes in the grading of serial retinal images were noted more commonly in cases of preplus disease. The mean severity in cases with a diagnosis of plus disease and no disease did not change between single and serial images. The ROP VSS demonstrated good correlation with the range of expert classifications of plus disease and overall agreement with the mode class (P = 0.001). The VSS correlated with mean plus disease severity by expert diagnosis (correlation coefficient, 0.89). The more aggressive graders tended to be influenced by serial images to increase the severity of their grading. The VSS also demonstrated agreement with disease progression across serial images, which progressed to preplus and plus disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians demonstrated variability in ROP diagnosis when presented with both single and serial images. The use of deep learning as a quantitative assessment of plus disease has the potential to standardize ROP diagnosis and treatment.

Assessment and management of retinopathy of prematurity in the era of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to rise due to the improved survival of very low birth weight infants in developed countries. This epidemic is also fueled by increased survival of preterm babies with variable use of oxygen and a lack of ROP awareness and screening services in resource-limited regions. Improvements in technology and a basic understanding of the disease pathophysiology have changed the way we screen and manage ROP, educate providers and patients, and improve ROP awareness. Advancements in imaging techniques, expansion of telemedicine services, and the potential for artificial intelligence-assisted ROP screening programs have created opportunities to improve ROP care in areas with a shortage of ophthalmologists trained in ROP. To address the gap in provider knowledge regarding ROP, the Global Education Network for Retinopathy of Prematurity (GEN-ROP) created a web-based tele-education training module that can be used to educate all providers involved in ROP, including non-physician ROP screeners. Over the past 50 years, the treatment of severe ROP has evolved from limited treatment modalities to cryotherapy and laser photocoagulation. More recently, there has been growing evidence to support the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents for the treatment of severe ROP. However, VEGF is known to be important in organogenesis and microvascular maintenance, and given that intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment can result in systemic VEGF suppression over a period of at least 1-12 weeks, there are concerns regarding adverse effects and long-term ocular and systemic developmental consequences of anti-VEGF therapy. Future research in ophthalmology to address the growing burden of ROP should focus on cost-effective fundus imaging devices, implementation of artificial intelligence platforms, updated treatment algorithms with optimal use of anti-VEGF and careful investigation of its long-term effects, and surgical options in advanced ROP. Addressing these unmet needs will aid the global effort against the ROP epidemic and optimize our understanding and treatment of this blinding disease.

Development and validation of a new clinical decision support tool to optimize screening for retinopathy of prematurity

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Prematurely born infants undergo costly, stressful eye examinations to uncover the small fraction with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) that needs treatment to prevent blindness. The aim was to develop a prediction tool (DIGIROP-Screen) with 100% sensitivity and high specificity to safely reduce screening of those infants not needing treatment. DIGIROP-Screen was compared with four other ROP models based on longitudinal weights.

METHODS

Data, including infants born at 24-30 weeks of gestational age (GA), for DIGIROP-Screen development (DevGroup, N=6991) originate from the Swedish National Registry for ROP. Three international cohorts comprised the external validation groups (ValGroups, N=1241). Multivariable logistic regressions, over postnatal ages (PNAs) 6-14 weeks, were validated. Predictors were birth characteristics, status and age at first diagnosed ROP and essential interactions.

RESULTS

ROP treatment was required in 287 (4.1%)/6991 infants in DevGroup and 49 (3.9%)/1241 in ValGroups. To allow 100% sensitivity in DevGroup, specificity at birth was 53.1% and cumulatively 60.5% at PNA 8 weeks. Applying the same cut-offs in ValGroups, specificities were similar (46.3% and 53.5%). One infant with severe malformations in ValGroups was incorrectly classified as not needing screening. For all other infants, at PNA 6-14 weeks, sensitivity was 100%. In other published models, sensitivity ranged from 88.5% to 100% and specificity ranged from 9.6% to 45.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

DIGIROP-Screen, a clinical decision support tool using readily available birth and ROP screening data for infants born GA 24-30 weeks, in the European and North American populations tested can safely identify infants not needing ROP screening. DIGIROP-Screen had equal or higher sensitivity and specificity compared with other models. DIGIROP-Screen should be tested in any new cohort for validation and if not validated it can be modified using the same statistical approaches applied to a specific clinical setting.

Virus containment box for retinopathy of prematurity screening and laser

Purpose:

Health care workers are susceptible to contracting infection with COVID-19 by aerosol transmission. This is a risk while examining and/or treating an un-sedated neonate in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening and treatment. But screening for neonates for ROP and treating with laser, when required, should not be delayed to avoid the blindness. We describe a cost-effective method of containing aerosols generated during such a procedure in an un-sedated baby.

Methods:

An acrylic transparent containment box was prepared to accommodate an average-sized infant. The box had four walls and a roof. The floor was open to place the container box over the baby. The walls have two types of openings, large ones to allow passage of hands to examine the baby, small ones to enable passage of oxygen tubing when required. A simulation was created to examine the impact of aerosol spray on examining healthcare personnel.

Results:

The cost of the acrylic box was negligible. It could be assembled locally with available acrylic sheets and craftsmen. It was not difficult to examine the baby inside the box, and the simulation demonstrated that it protected the health personnel from the aerosol contamination.

Conclusion:

The described method is likely to increase healthcare personnel's confidence not to delay or deny ROP screening and laser treatment and save the babies from blindness.

The role of retinal photography and telemedicine in ROP screening

Until advances in retinal imaging over recent decades, detection of retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment depended largely on indirect ophthalmoscopy by ophthalmologists with experience in examination of low birth weight, often fragile infants. Recent studies have added to our understanding of the pros and cons of using this technology to provide timely care for the increasing number of infants at risk for ROP blindness worldwide.

Retinopathy of prematurity: An update on screening and management

Retinopathy of prematurity is a proliferative disorder of the developing retinal blood vessels in preterm infants. The present practice point reviews new information regarding screening and management for retinopathy of prematurity, including the role of risk factors in screening, optimal scheduling for screening examinations, pain management, digital retinal photography and antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy.

Topical anesthesia or oral dextrose for the relief of pain in screening for retinopathy of prematurity: a randomized controlled double-blinded trial

OBJECTIVE

Compare efficacy of 0.5% proparacaine eye drops and oral 25% dextrose in reducing pain during screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Twenty eligible babies were randomized. Group I received 0.5% proparacaine eye drops at first ROP screening, while Group II received 25% dextrose orally. At second examination, babies received no intervention. Pain was assessed using Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) score.

RESULTS

The mean ( ± SD) PIPP during procedure in Group I were 15.5 ± 2.06 and 14 ± 2.4 at first and second screening (p = 0.259). The mean ( ± SD) PIPP in Group II were 14.2 ± 1. 8 and 14.9 ± 2.5 at the first and second screening (p = 0.428). Differences were not statistically significant. The PIPP scores of Group I and Group II at the first screening were also not significantly different (p = 0.165).

CONCLUSION

ROP screening causes moderate to severe pain and neither proparacaine nor dextrose is an effective analgesic.