Comparative study of the polaroid and digital non-mydriatic cameras in the detection of referrable diabetic retinopathy in Australia

Abstract

Aim: To show that the non-mydriatic retinal camera (NMRC) using polaroid film is as effective as the NMRC using digital imaging in detecting referrable retinopathy. Methods: A series of patients with diabetes attending the eye out-patients department at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital had single-field non-mydriatic fundus photographs taken using first a digital and then a polaroid camera. Dilated 30° seven-field stereo fundus photographs were then taken of each eye as the gold standard. The photographs were graded in a masked fashion. Retinopathy levels were defined using the simplified Wisconsin Grading system. We used the êstatistics for inter-reader and intrareader agreement and ..