Ultra-widefield retinal imaging: an update on recent advances

The development of ultra-widefield retinal imaging has accelerated our understanding of common retinal diseases. As we continue to validate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of pathology in the retinal periphery, the ability to visualize and evaluate these features in an efficient and patient-friendly manner will become more important. Current interest in ultra-widefield imaging includes the development of potential biomarkers of disease progression and indicators of preclinical disease development. This article reviews the current ultra-widefield imaging systems and recent advances in their applications to clinical practice with a focus on diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, uveitis, and pediatric retina.

A Case of a Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and RPE Concurrently Found in the Same Eye as Peripheral Astrocytic Hamartomas

We report a case of a 7-year-old boy with neurofibromatosis 2 who was referred to our pediatric retina clinic for deteriorating vision of his left eye. Fundoscopy revealed a gray epiretinal and vitreous opacity extending to the fovea in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated an epiretinal membrane (ERM) with a distinct tissue plane and overlying vitreoretinal strands, consistent with combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (CHRRPE). Intraoperative OCT-guided pars plana vitrectomy and membrane peel were performed and the tissue was sent for histopathologic evaluation. Intraoperative scleral-depressed examination also revealed multiple elevated, white-gray, semitranslucent masses near the ora serrata, consistent with astrocytic hamartomas. Histopathologic analysis of the epiretinal tissue revealed glial origin. Recognition of any of these lesions in a young patient should prompt neurologic and genetic evaluation.