Panoramic imaging of the ocular fundus.

There are several camera systems available to the ophthalmologist for documenting fundus conditions. We present our results of imaging with a new wide-angle contact camera system, Panoret-1000 (CMT Medical Technologies Inc, Valley Stream, NY). This digital camera provides high-resolution, wide-field imaging of the ocular fundus. Special features include its portability, digital capture, realistic color match, excellent resolution, and lack of distortion. It has the capability of imaging through the relatively small pupil, mild cataract, and pseudophakic intraocular lens, features that hinder other wide-angle camera systems. Imaging of the ocular fundus is important for the documentation of numerous retinal and choroidal conditions. However, fundus photography can be a challenge owing to the small pupillary aperture,whichinhibitsadequateillumination of the interior of the eye. There are currently several fundus imaging systems available, all of which use transpupillary illumination techniques, where the light source is located in the region of the camera and is directed through the pupil into theposteriorsegmentoftheeye.Thesesystems generally provide small-angle, highresolution photography of the posterior pole, measuring approximately 26°, 45°, 65°,and80°oftheposteriorsegment(measured from the center of the vitreous cavity).Photographingthefundusanteriorto the equator of the eye is particularly difficult with small-angle photography systems. Additionally, imaging of large fundus abnormalities is in adequate with the small-anglesystems,astheabnormalityis documented in a piecemeal fashion without the desired broad perspective of the entire lesion. Some of the currently available wide-angle systems include Retcam 120 (Massie Research Laboratories, Dublin,Calif),acontactsystemusingtranspupillary illumination, and Optomap (Optos, Marlborough, Mass), a noncontact system using transpupillary illumination. Retcam120canprovidehigh-resolutionim