Wide angle fundus documentation in retinopathy of prematurity

Background. Fundus documentation in preterm infants has been improved by th e advent of a new wide-angle fundus camera (RetCam 120). Patients and methods. In 30 preterm infants we used the RetCam 120 for reti nopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening, before and after laser treatment of ROP and after regression of acute phase ROP for documentation of fundus fi ndings. The RetCam 120 is a digital contact wide-angle fundus camera which is based on a 3-chip CCD video camera. Results. The RetCam 120 proved to be feasable for ROP documentation in pret erm infants. Fundus documentation enhanced follow-up,teaching and cooperati on between ophthalmologists and neonatologists. Conventional ophthalmoscopy is still necessary when using the RetCam 120 in ROP screening. Technical i mprovements of the camera itself and of the hardware and software is necess ary before the RetCam 120 can be used routinely in ROP screening. Conclusion. The wide-angle fundus documentation using the RetCam 120 allows instant visualization and real-time documentation of intraocular findings. The RetCam 120 opens up new possibilities in clinical and scientific work, in teaching and in the new frontiers of ophthalmological telemedicine.