This article titled “Photographic Gel Artifact Simulating International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity Notch: Stanford University Network for Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity (SUNDROP) Report no. 16” by Karen M Wai et al., published in Ophthalmol Retina in August 2023, discusses a series of fundus photographs taken for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening that contain artifacts resembling a notch, a classification metric in the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity. The study is a retrospective case series involving infants from the Stanford University Network for Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity (SUNDROP) and TeleROP telemedicine screening programs. Preterm infants meeting ROP examination criteria were screened using imaging systems, and artifacts mimicking a notch were identified in 17 cases.

These pseudo-notches were caused by the camera illumination system within the gel-lens interface when the lens was not properly apposed to the cornea. The study suggests that pediatric retinal specialists need to be aware of these artifacts, which can be distinguished from actual notches through overlapping and redundant images.

First Author: Karen M Wai
Journal: Ophthalmol Retina
Publication Date: August 2023