The Role of Different Retinal Imaging Modalities in Predicting Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy: A Survey

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a devastating condition caused by progressive changes in the retinal microvasculature. It is a leading cause of retinal blindness in people with diabetes. Long periods of uncontrolled blood sugar levels result in endothelial damage, leading to macular edema, altered retinal permeability, retinal ischemia, and neovascularization. In order to facilitate rapid screening and diagnosing, as well as grading of DR, different retinal modalities are utilized. Typically, a computer-aided diagnostic system (CAD) uses retinal images to aid the ophthalmologists in the diagnosis process. These CAD systems use a combination of machine learning (ML) models (e.g., deep learning (DL) approaches) to speed up the diagnosis and grading of DR. In this way, this survey provides a comprehensive overview of different imaging modalities used with ML/DL approaches in the DR diagnosis process. The four imaging modalities that we focused on are fluorescein angiography, fundus photographs, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA). In addition, we discuss limitations of the literature that utilizes such modalities for DR diagnosis. In addition, we introduce research gaps and provide suggested solutions for the researchers to resolve. Lastly, we provide a thorough discussion about the challenges and future directions of the current state-of-the-art DL/ML approaches. We also elaborate on how integrating different imaging modalities with the clinical information and demographic data will lead to promising results for the scientists when diagnosing and grading DR. As a result of this article’s comparative analysis and discussion, it remains necessary to use DL methods over existing ML models to detect DR in multiple modalities.

Artificial intelligence and hemodynamic studies in optical coherence tomography angiography for diabetic retinopathy evaluation: A review

“…In ophthalmology, exceptional quality image-producing options are available to screen DR like Fundus camera, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), OCTA, and Fluorescein angiography procedures. 14 These optical imaging techniques give more detailed and deeper images of the retina, which allows the ophthalmologist to detect small changes in the retina with high . World map displaying the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and the number of adults affected with DR in millions according to a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by Teo et al 12 resolution.…”

“…However, it has some drawbacks such as its invasive nature, time-consuming, and difficulty in handling. 14 A recent study compared the results of fluorescein angiography and digital color fundus imaging for detecting DR in young patients. 24 However, since it screens vascular leakage, FA remains an essential diagnostic modality for DR screening.…”

Vison Transformer Adapter-based Hyperbolic Embeddings for Multi-lesion Segmentation in Diabetic Retinopathy

“…Author details 1 School of Medicine and Information Engineering, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine,, 230012 Hefei, China. 2 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, 230032 Hefei, China. 3 Hefei University of Technology, 230009 Hefei, China.…”

“…Diabetic retinopathy is an ocular condition that results from injury to the retina caused by hyperglycemia in individuals with diabetes [1]. The retina is a delicate membrane located at the posterior of the eye that converts photons into electrical impulses, which are transmitted to the brain [2]. Diabetic retinopathy is classified into two categories: Non-Proliferative DR (NPDR) and Proliferative DR (PDR) [3].…”

Anatomical and Functional Effects of Oral Administration of Curcuma Longa and Boswellia Serrata Combination in Patients with Treatment-Naïve Diabetic Macular Edema

“…DME formation can occur in both the proliferative and non-proliferative forms of DR and its onset is typically associated with some characteristic symptoms, including visual blurring and distorted vision. Fluorescein angiography (FA), through the detection of macular capillary hyperpermeability, and optical coherence tomography (OCT), through the detection of intra and subretinal fluid, represent the specific diagnostic investigations currently used to detect DME [ 5 , 6 ].…”