Diabetic Eye Disease and optomap Imaging

Why Diabetic Eye Disease Demands Comprehensive Assessment

Why Diabetic Eye Disease Demands Comprehensive Assessment

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss among people with diabetes. It often develops with little visual changes in the early stages, making early detection essential. Optos’ optomap® ultra-widefield (UWF)™ retinal imaging captures up to 200° of the retina in a single shot and has been found to be equivalent to gold standard ETDRS imaging for the grading of diabetic retinopathy¹.
The broader view generated by optomap allows eye care professionals to detect peripheral retinal lesions, which are often missed in standard imaging and may be hard to see on exam. Studies show that up to 50% of diabetic lesions occur outside the standard ETDRS 7-field view, and these peripheral findings may indicate a higher risk of disease progression².

Understanding DR and Enhanced Diagnosis with MonacoPro

A complication of diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy affects the small blood vessels in the retina due to blockage or leakage. These changes can appear as microaneurysms, hemorrhages, or fluid exudates. The severity and number of affected vessels determine the grade of retinopathy, classified as either non-proliferative (NPDR) or proliferative (PDR). Both forms may present with clinically significant macular edema (CSME), which can threaten central vision.

To support diagnosis and management, MonacoPro combines optomap UWF imaging with spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) in a single device. This multimodality system enables clinicians to visualize peripheral and central retinal changes and assess macular thickness simultaneously—critical for identifying, monitoring and treating DR. OptosAdvance also allows for overlaying of previous visits to track the progression of disease. UWF with integrated OCT has been reported to increase the identification of macular pathology in diabetic when compared with optomap alone by 29.4%³. By streamlining imaging and enhancing diagnostic precision, MonacoPro helps guide patient counseling, monitor change over time as well as timely treatment decisions, including interventions like anti-VEGF injections or pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP), which uses laser therapy to seal leaking vessels and prevent further damage.

optomap’s Role in Pediatric Eye Health

Vision care starts early. For children with diabetes or hereditary retinal conditions, optomap imaging offers a non-invasive, fast, and effective way to screen for disease. For several pediatric retinal conditions (eg, retinal detachment, retinopathy of prematurity, Coats' disease, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, Stargardt disease, ocular toxocariasis), UWF retinal imaging provides the high spatial resolution necessary for reliable diagnosis, expediting time to treatment while maintaining low false positive rates⁴⁵.

In pediatric studies, optomap imaging has proven effective even in infants as young as 16 days old, without the need for sedation or contact-based imaging⁶. UWF imaging has also been shown to be safer as it does not increase physiological instability compared to exam in non-ventilated infants⁷.

Back-to-School Reminder: Prioritize Pediatric Eye Exams
As children head back to school, it’s the perfect time to ensure their vision is ready for the classroom. Visit CustomerCentral for custom resources tailored to pediatric eye exams, including tools to support early detection and management of retinal conditions in children.

Comprehensive Eye Exams with optomap

Whether for adults managing diabetes or children undergoing routine screenings, comprehensive eye exams that include optomap imaging help ensure no part of the retina is overlooked. This technology supports earlier diagnosis, better monitoring, and more informed treatment decisions.

Learn More and Explore Clinical Studies

Recognizing Pathology
Pediatric Pathology Overview
Study Comparing optomap to ETDRS Imaging

1. Optos Imaging and ETDRS Photos Comparable. Review of Ophthalmology. www.reviewofophthalmology.com/article/optos-imaging-etdrs-photos-comparable. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.
2. Silva PS, et al. Peripheral Lesions Identified on Ultrawide Field Imaging Predict Increased Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy Progression over 4 Years. Ophthalmology. 2015;122(5):949-56. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2015.01.008. PMID: 25704318.
3. Aiello LP, et al. Integrating Macular Optical Coherence Tomography with Ultrawide-Field Imaging in a Diabetic Retinopathy Telemedicine Program Using a Single Device. Retina. 2023;43(11):1928-1935. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000003883. PMID: 37871272.
4. Chew LA, et al. Pediatric Eye Screening: Current Standards and Gaps in Care. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2025;56(4):232-239. doi: 10.3928/23258160-20241216-03. PMID: 39998615.
5. SpringerLink. Widefield Imaging in Pediatric Retina. In: Hartnett ME, ed. Pediatric Retina. Springer; 2016. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-17864-6_11.
6. Magnusdottir V, et al. Fundus imaging in newborn children with wide-field scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Acta Ophthalmol. 2017;95(8):842-844. doi: 10.1111/aos.13453. PMID: 28391630.
7. Purohit R, et al. Physiological responses to retinopathy of prematurity screening: indirect ophthalmoscopy versus ultra-widefield retinal imaging. Pediatr Res. 2025 Feb 13. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-03906-4. PMID: 39948384.