Abstract
Objective We aimed to investigate the incidence and the severity of retinopathy of extremely premature infants and to evaluate the risk factors and outcome of the cases. Materials and Methods Out of 200 premature births, we retrospectively reviewed 9 cases that developed ROP. We excluded cases where ROP developed in newborns > 30 weeks of gestational age and cases where medical notes were unavailable or incomplete. Topical drops of cyclopentolate 1% and phenylephrine 5% were instilled and fundoscopy was performed using a direct ophthalmoscope. Results The incidence of ROP was 4.5% in the 9-year period. The infants were divided into two groups. Group 1 included premature infants ≤27 weeks of age and Group 2 included those >27 weeks but ≤ 30 weeks of age. We found that the infants of Group 1 showed advanced stages of ROP in comparison to Group 2. Out of 18 eyes, 11 eyes had stage 3 ROP and they were all found in Group 1 (100% of cases). Conclusion The severity of ROP was associated with earlier gestational age, lower birth weight, and oxygen supplementation. Constant cooperation between physicians and nursing staff is necessary to avoid undetected cases and further prevent ROP related blindness.
Highlights
IntroductionRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is estimated to account for 6% to 18% of childhood blindness in developed countries with an infant mortality rate of less than 10 per 1,000 live births [2]
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major cause of preventable blindness in children, despite current laser or surgical treatment [1].ROP is estimated to account for 6% to 18% of childhood blindness in developed countries with an infant mortality rate of less than 10 per 1,000 live births [2].It was first described by Terry in 1942 as retrolental fibroplasia [1]
ROP was staged according to the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ICROP) [4]
Summary
ROP is estimated to account for 6% to 18% of childhood blindness in developed countries with an infant mortality rate of less than 10 per 1,000 live births [2]. It was first described by Terry in 1942 as retrolental fibroplasia [1]. ROP was initially associated with premature birth and shortly after with oxygen treatment. It is characterized by abnormal neovascularization of the retina of premature infants [3]. Laser ablation treatment has been estimated to reduce the incidence of blindness by 25% in the late stages, children still have poor visual acuity after the treatment [1]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
