Keith-Wagener-Barker (Hypertensive Retinopathy)
Keith-Wagener-Barker classification (Keith, Wagener & Barker 1939) of hypertensive retinopathy on fundoscopy (grades 1-4), the hypertensive counterpart to the ICDR diabetic-retinopathy scale.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Keith-Wagener-Barker grade
- Grade 3 - plus hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, exudates
Result: Keith-Wagener-Barker grade 3: retinal hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, and hard exudates (plus grade 2 changes).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Grade 1 / 2
- 1: mild generalized arteriolar narrowing. 2: focal narrowing and arteriovenous nicking.
- Grade 3
- Retinal hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, and hard exudates (active end-organ injury).
- Grade 4
- Plus optic disc swelling (papilledema); the fundoscopic hallmark of malignant hypertension.
What you enter
- Keith-Wagener-Barker grade
How this is calculated
Keith NM, Wagener HP, Barker NW. Some different types of essential hypertension: their course and prognosis. Am J Med Sci. 1939;197(3):332-343. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.