RETINOPATHY SCREENING IN TYPE-2 DIABETES - RELIABILITY OF WIDE-ANGLE FUNDUS PHOTOGRAPHY

The purpose of the study was to assess the reliability of mydriatic 60 degrees fundus photography in a retinopathy screening programme for T ype 2 diabetic patients in a primary health care setting. In 323 eligi ble consecutive Type 2 diabetic patients above 40 years of age, attend ing a regional shared care diabetes project, mydriatic wide angle fund us photography was compared with standardized fundoscopy in dilated pu pils as the recommended test for the detection of diabetic retinopathy . Fundus photography included two black and white transparencies per e ye visualizing the central and nasal retinal field. Fundoscopy finding s and pictures were scored according to modified Wisconsin criteria. F undoscopy revealed in 95/646 eyes (14.7 %) some degree of diabetic ret inopathy. Sensitivity and specificity of fundus photography (omitting ungradable transparencies) were 97 % for the diagnosis of any diabetic retinopathy (DRP). All patients with moderate and severe DRP (Wiscons in grade 3 and worse) according to fundoscopy were detected by fundus photography. In conclusion, mydriatic wide angle 60 degrees fundus pho tography, making two pictures per eye, can be applied effectively and reliably in the detection of diabetic retinopathy in patients with Typ e 2 diabetes.