Advanced Retinopathy Of Prematurity Research Articles

Arrested Corneal Flattening and Low Astigmatism as Stable Trends Over Decades in Danish Ex-preterms

Background: Based on Danish cohort studies over half a century, to look for changes over time of corneal shape in childhood (curvature and astigmatism) in surviving Preterms (PT). Methods: In the most recent study 178 PT and 56 Full-Term (FT) children underwent cycloplegic Retinomax autokerato-refractometry at age 4-5 years. PT was subdivided according to the presence and severity of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Results: The PT children had either no ROP (n = 99), reversible ROP (n = 47) or laser treated ROP (n =32) and presented median refractive values of 1.5 D, 1.8 D and 1.1 D, respectively, versus 1.3 D in controls (P<0.05). The corresponding mean values for corneal Curvature Radius (CR) were 7.59±0.27 mm, 7.60±0.28 mm and 7.46±0.28 mm, compared with 7.79 ± 0.23 mm for FT (P<0.0001). As added analyses, CR was significantly correlated to birth weight (P<0.001) but not to gestational age (P=0.14). CR and astigmatism did not correlate with refraction. Corneal Astigmatism (CA) was of normal low order (cylinder mainly < 1 D) and with no difference between the two main groups. Within the PT group, treated ROP had a higher median cylinder and a top-value of -2.25 D. Conclusion: The stable anterior segment features over time contributed optically to occasional myopia of prematurity but did not explain it. Comparing with previous Danish PT investigations over 5 decades, a steeper cornea and low degree astigmatism remained hallmarks of PT, although with a slight impact suggested for the most advanced ROP.

Scleral Buckling for Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Case Report

Introduction : Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative retinal disease that affects premature infants. Patients with advanced ROP require surgery to minimize retinal distortion and prevent total retinal detachment. This case reports the efficacy of scleral buckling (SB) in a patient with stage 4B ROP in both eyes within 3 months.
 Case Illustration : A 4-month-old female baby presented to the Pediatric Ophthalmology Division in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital with the chief complaint of no eye contact in both eyes. Her eyes moved by themselves since the age of 3.5 months and sometimes looked crossed. The patient presented to the pediatrician and was referred to the pediatric ophthalmology division for further management. There was a history of premature delivery at 30 weeks with oxygen therapy for 3 weeks. Pediatric Ophthalmology Division performed ultrasonography and Retcam and diagnosed ROP stage 4B in both eyes. Scleral buckling was performed by vitreoretinal division in the right and left eyes at 49 and 52 weeks postmenstrual age, respectively.
 Discussion : Vitrectomy and scleral buckling are the surgical options in advanced ROP. Vitrectomy is ideally performed in stage 4A without macular involvement. We considered performing SB because vitrectomy seems to be ineffective in this patient and the patient is more prone to intraocular complications.
 Conclusion : Scleral buckling is effective in preventing further progression of retinal detachment, reducing vitreoretinal traction and preventing ischemia in the retinal detachment. In short-term follow-up, we found no worsening of progression. However, further follow-up is needed to demonstrate the long- term efficacy of SB in advanced ROP.

Targeting adenosine A2A receptors for early intervention of retinopathy of prematurity.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to pose a significant threat to the vision of numerous children worldwide, primarily owing to the increased survival rates of premature infants. The pathologies of ROP are mainly linked to impaired vascularization as a result of hyperoxia, leading to subsequent neovascularization. Existing treatments, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) therapies, have thus far been limited to addressing pathological angiogenesis at advanced ROP stages, inevitably leading to adverse side effects. Intervention to promote physiological angiogenesis during the initial stages could hold the potential to prevent ROP. Adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR) have been identified in various ocular cell types, exhibiting distinct densities and functionally intricate connections with oxygen metabolism. In this review, we discuss experimental evidence that strongly underscores the pivotal role of A2AR in ROP. In particular, A2AR blockade may represent an effective treatment strategy, mitigating retinal vascular loss by reversing hyperoxia-mediated cellular proliferation inhibition and curtailing hypoxia-mediated neovascularization in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). These effects stem from the interplay of endothelium, neuronal and glial cells, and novel molecular pathways (notably promoting TGF-β signaling) at the hyperoxia phase. We propose that pharmacological targeting of A2AR signaling may confer an early intervention for ROP with distinct therapeutic benefits and mechanisms than the anti-VEGF therapy.

Image-free recognition of moderate ROP from mild with machine learning algorithm on plasma Raman spectrum

The retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can cause serious clinical consequences and, fortunately, it is remediable while the time window for treatment is relatively narrow. Therefore, it is urgent to screen all premature infants and diagnose ROP degree timely, which has become a large workload for pediatric ophthalmologists. We developed a retinal image-free procedure using small amount of blood samples based on the plasma Raman spectrum with the machine learning model to automatically classify ROP cases before medical intervention was performed. Statistical differences in infrared Raman spectra of plasma samples were found among the control, mild (ZIIIS1), moderate (ZIIIS2 & ZIIS1), and advanced (ZIIS2) ROP groups. With the different wave points of Raman spectra as the inputs, the outputs of our support vector machine showed that the area under the curves in the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) were 0.763 for the pair comparisons of the control with the mild groups, 0.821 between moderate and advanced groups (ZIIS2), while more than 90% in comparisons of the other four pairs: control vs. moderate (0.981), control vs. advanced (0.963), mild vs. moderate (0.936), and mild vs. advanced (0.953), respectively. Our study could advance principally the ROP diagnosis in two dimensions: the moderate ROPs have been classified remarkably from the mild ones, which leaves more time for the medical treatments, and the procedure of Raman spectrum with a machine learning model based on blood samples can be conveniently promoted to those hospitals lacking of the pediatric ophthalmologists with experience in reading retinal images.

Childhood blindness from surge of advanced stage retinopathy of prematurity in premature infants during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case series

Background Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative disease of the ocular retinal vasculature in premature infants, being a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness. The COVID-19 pandemic serves as an additional barrier to access to care and referral, potentially leading to more cases of advanced stage ROP. Although surgery can be done, ROP at this stage is highly associated with poor functional outcome irrespective of surgery. This case series aims to report advanced stage (stage 5) ROP in premature infants during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsA retrospective case series of medical records of paediatric patients with ROP was performed at Cipto Mangunkusumo National Referral Hospital between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. This case series included new patients that presented to our clinic from March 2020 to December 2021 with stage 5 ROP. ResultsA total of 19 eyes of 10 patients with stage 5 ROP were included in this study. Mean chronologic age at presentation to our referral centre was 7.0 4.0 months. Upon presentation, all had stage 5 ROP with negative blink reflex to light, and none of the eyes in this cohort underwent surgical intervention. Mean gestational age was 30.3 3.2 weeks and mean birth weight was 1,276.7 366.4 g. ConclusionThere was an observable surge of stage 5 ROP at our referral centre with irreversible blindness. This highlights the need for proper ROP screening in all hospitals in Indonesia to prevent delay in detection and care of advanced stage ROP.

Ophthalmological long-term sequelae of premature birth-Persisting into adulthood : Eye development and premature birth anamnesis

Premature birth and the postnatal occurrence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are the main risk factors for reduced visual acuity and blindness in childhood and adolescence accompanied by numerous morphological ocular changes. It can be assumed that these alterations persist throughout life and could represent apotential risk factor for ocular diseases, although little is known to date about the long-term effects of prematurity on ocular function and morphology in adulthood. The aim of the present study is to review the literature on the long-term effects of prematurity and associated factors. Individuals born preterm exhibit reduced visual acuity, lower visual quality of life, and steeper corneal configuration in adulthood. Furthermore, individuals with advanced ROP and need for ROP treatment are at particularly high risk for myopic refractive error, the occurrence of strabismus, and increased lens opacities with thicker lenses. Low gestational age is associated with thinner peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness as well as thicker foveal retinal thickness and more frequent occurrence of foveal hypoplasia. In addition, data from the Gutenberg Health Study showed that low birth weight as asurrogate marker for prematurity and fetal growth restriction are associated with an increased prevalence of age-related macular degeneration as well as more frequently with diabetes and consequently diabetic retinopathy. Premature birth and associated factors lead to life-long functional and morphological ocular changes. There is evidence that this can lead to retinal diseases later in life and thus, there appear to be fetal origins for adult eye disease. This may have implications for ophthalmic controls and its intervals in adulthood.

CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF SURGERY FOR ADVANCED STAGE RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY: A CASE REPORT

Introduction: Advanced stages of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) could lead to childhood blindness and retinal surgery is needed as the main treatment. This case aims to report the clinical outcomes after surgery for advanced-stage ROP
 Case Report: A female infant was admitted to the pediatric ophthalmology clinic in Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central Hospital Jakarta with a lack of visual contact in both eyes at 53 weeks of Post Menstrual Age (PMA). The infant was delivered at 28 weeks of gestational age with a birth weight of 1100 g. The baby was treated in NICU for 24 days and received oxygen therapy in the previous hospital. Retinal examination revealed that the patient had stage 5 ROP in the right eye and stage 4B ROP in the left eye. Furthermore, blinking reflect was absent in both eyes. Vitrectomy and endolaser were performed for the baby’s left eye. Surgery was not conducted for the infant’s right eye due to poor prognosis. Six weeks after surgery, the infant underwent examination under anesthesia (EUA) which showed that the retina was reattached with no vitreous hemorrhage, and intraocular pressure measurement was 7 mmHg. The result of the visual acuity test by Cardiff Acuity Cards was 6/60 on both eyes. Followed up EUA reported that the refraction test result on the left eye was S-3.75 C-5.75 x 85o and an undetermined result on the right eye due to opacity in the visual axis.
 Discussion: Several surgeries have been described as the treatment of choice for advanced-stage ROP, including scleral buckling and vitrectomy with or without the addition of endolaser. Previous studies illustrated that stage 5 ROP has a low success rate on lens-sparing vitrectomy compared to stage 4A and 4B. The outcome success rate was the best in stage 4A ROP. Moreover, stage 4B ROP had a moderate success rate with sufficient visual outcomes.
 Conclusion: The functional outcome of vitrectomy surgery may not equate to anatomic success. Retinal reattachment and moderate visual outcome were achieved by performing vitrectomy and endolaser in this case. Followed-up periodically is necessary for advanced stage ROP postoperatively.

GSDMD deficiency ameliorates hyperoxia-induced BPD and ROP in neonatal mice

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are among the most common morbidities affecting extremely premature infants who receive oxygen therapy. Many clinical studies indicate that BPD is associated with advanced ROP. However, the mechanistic link between hyperoxia, BPD, and ROP remains to be explored. Gasdermin D (GSDMD) is a key executor of inflammasome-induced pyroptosis and inflammation. Inhibition of GSDMD has been shown to attenuate hyperoxia-induced BPD and brain injury in neonatal mice. The objective of this study was to further define the mechanistic roles of GSDMD in the pathogenesis of hyperoxia-induced BPD and ROP in mouse models. Here we show that global GSDMD knockout (GSDMD-KO) protects against hyperoxia-induced BPD by reducing macrophage infiltration, improving alveolarization and vascular development, and decreasing cell death. In addition, GSDMD deficiency prevented hyperoxia-induced ROP by reducing vasoobliteration and neovascularization, improving thinning of multiple retinal tissue layers, and decreasing microglial activation. RNA sequencing analyses of lungs and retinas showed that similar genes, including those from inflammatory, cell death, tissue remodeling, and tissue and vascular developmental signaling pathways, were induced by hyperoxia and impacted by GSDMD-KO in both models. These data highlight the importance of GSDMD in the pathogenesis of BPD and ROP and suggest that targeting GSDMD may be beneficial in preventing and treating BPD and ROP in premature infants.

Blindness in infants presenting with advanced and untreated ROP: a single-centre study in Pakistan

ABSTRACTPurposeTo describe the ocular features and characteristics of young children presenting with advanced, untreated retinopathy of prematurity and to determine appropriate screening guidelines for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Pakistan.Material...

Relationship Between Retinopathy and Mean Platelet Volume

OBJECTIVE: Platelet activation is thought to play a role in the angiogenesis process involved in the pathophysiology of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We planned this study to investigate whether the mean platelet volume (MPV), used to assess platelet activation, could be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of ROP. STUDY DESIGN: In our study, we evaluated infants who underwent ROP examination among infants born at 32 weeks or less and/or 1500 grams or less as well as infants who had more than these values but experienced a bad neonatal period. These patients were divided into two groups as those with and without ROP, and in those with ROP group, as requiring treatment and not requiring treatment. We recorded the patients’ identity, maternal characteristics, antenatal/natal/postnatal features, and complications during follow-up, ROP control times, and complete blood count parameters (platelet count, MPV, platelet count/MPV). Primarily, we evaluated the differences of platelet parameters, especially the MPV values, between treatment requiring ROP and non-treatment requiring ROP groups and secondarily, we evaluated the correlation between scanned parameters and ROP development. RESULTS: Of the 144 patients included in the study, 49 patients (34%) had ROP and 25 patients (16.6%) had ROP requiring treatment. There were statistically significant differences between patients who were diagnosed with ROP and who were not, in terms of gestational age, birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome, surfactant use, duration of oxygen use, intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, neonatal sepsis, number of blood transfusions, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and time to catch up birth weight. However, there was no significant difference in terms of MPV, platelet count and platelet/MPV ratio. The gestational week, invasive ventilation day and duration of oxygen use, BPD and time to catch up birth weight were found to be statistically high in treatment-requiring rather than non-treatment-requiring ROP groups. There was no significant difference in MPV, platelet count, platelet/MPV ratio among these groups. A statistically significant difference was found in the most advanced stage ROP and plus existence in the treatment requiring ROP group. CONCLUSION: As a result of our study, we could not find enough data to say that MPV is a marker that can be used in the diagnosis of ROP and in measuring the severity of retinopathy. We suggest that more studies should be done on this subject.

Assessment and management of retinopathy of prematurity in the era of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to rise due to the improved survival of very low birth weight infants in developed countries. This epidemic is also fueled by increased survival of preterm babies with variable use of oxygen and a lack of ROP awareness and screening services in resource-limited regions. Improvements in technology and a basic understanding of the disease pathophysiology have changed the way we screen and manage ROP, educate providers and patients, and improve ROP awareness. Advancements in imaging techniques, expansion of telemedicine services, and the potential for artificial intelligence-assisted ROP screening programs have created opportunities to improve ROP care in areas with a shortage of ophthalmologists trained in ROP. To address the gap in provider knowledge regarding ROP, the Global Education Network for Retinopathy of Prematurity (GEN-ROP) created a web-based tele-education training module that can be used to educate all providers involved in ROP, including non-physician ROP screeners. Over the past 50 years, the treatment of severe ROP has evolved from limited treatment modalities to cryotherapy and laser photocoagulation. More recently, there has been growing evidence to support the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents for the treatment of severe ROP. However, VEGF is known to be important in organogenesis and microvascular maintenance, and given that intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment can result in systemic VEGF suppression over a period of at least 1-12 weeks, there are concerns regarding adverse effects and long-term ocular and systemic developmental consequences of anti-VEGF therapy. Future research in ophthalmology to address the growing burden of ROP should focus on cost-effective fundus imaging devices, implementation of artificial intelligence platforms, updated treatment algorithms with optimal use of anti-VEGF and careful investigation of its long-term effects, and surgical options in advanced ROP. Addressing these unmet needs will aid the global effort against the ROP epidemic and optimize our understanding and treatment of this blinding disease.

Pitfalls of Advanced Retinopathy of Prematurity Presentation: A Content Analysis of Medical Records.

PurposeTo identify the pitfalls in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening leading to advanced disease at Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals in Saudi Arabia.MethodsA qualitative deductive content analysis was used to study the phenomena of defects in ROP screening. A retrospective review of medical records of newborns presenting to two tertiary eye care centers with advanced ROP (stage 4 and 5) from January 2012 to June 2019 was completed. An extensive review of the original files at the referring hospitals was conducted, including the general condition and findings of ophthalmic examination and the sequence of follow-up until the infant was discharged/referred. Data analysis was completed using pre-structured categorization matrix.ResultsRecords of 29 infants with advanced stage ROP were identified. Only 13 medical records were available and obtained. The pitfalls in screening found in the study were failure to refer by the neonatologist, delayed follow-up by the ophthalmologist, failure to follow-up by the ophthalmologist, failure to diagnose by the ophthalmologist, poor documentation in patient files, unavailability of ophthalmologist, family negligence, lack of treatment and delayed referral to a higher center, and progression despite timely screening and management.ConclusionAlthough clear ROP screening guidelines are available, implementations of these guidelines are suboptimal. This study showed that the most common defect in screening is physician’s inadequacy and unavailability. A proper network of competent ROP screening physicians in all neonatal intensive care units should be established. Centers for advanced ROP surgery should be allocated to deliver a timely surgical care if needed.

This issue of ACTA

This issue of ACTA

Retinopathy of prematurity campaign in Bangladesh: Experience and lessons learnt

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a potentially avoidable cause of irreversible blindness or severe visual impairment in many infants born premature. The global incidence of premature birth has been reported to be 11.1 per 100 livebirths in 2010. The present communication share the experience and lessons learnt during a Neonatologist-Ophthalmologist Retinopathy of Prematurity (NO-ROP) campaign and ROP situation analysis in Bangladesh. A weeklong workshop was organised in May 2016 in Dhaka for the paediatricians and ophthalmologists of the country involved in ROP care. This included a programme to train the attendees on basic to advanced ROP care. Finally, a half day session was organised for the government stakeholders, non government organisations, obstetricians, neonatal and child health care providers and ophthalmologists to assess the level of awareness, the gaps and any obstacles for an effective ROP care in the country. Besides, two neonatal units were visited to assess the ROP situation at district levels in Bangladesh. The observations were documented and recommendations suggested. The awareness and resource availability for ROP care was disproportionately less compared to the demand even in Dhaka. At the district levels, the ROP care mostly did not exist. However, the eagerness to help, support and bridge the gaps was tremendous both among the government and non government organisations. There is an urgent need to strengthen and expand the existing ROP services in Dhaka as well as at the district levels. The observations made and lessons learnt could go a long way in combating ROP blindness in Bangladesh and in other developing countries.
 Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2019; 45: 122-125

Barriers to timely presentation for appropriate care of retinopathy of prematurity in Odisha, Eastern India.

Purpose:To analyze the causes for late presentation in a series of patients with advanced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a tertiary eye care institute in Eastern India.Methods:We analyzed our medical records and ROP database retrospectively from 2007 to 2015 and prospectively thereafter till 2017 to identify the factors for late presentation in babies with advanced ROP (stages 4 and 5).Results:A total of 71 eligible subjects were analyzed. The mean chronological age was 15.1 months (2 months to 14 years). The three important barriers were: (1) the system and neonatal care policy failure (n = 45; 63.3%), (2) parental negligence and ignorance (n = 19; 26.7%), and (3) ophthalmologist's misdiagnosis or unavailability (n = 7; 10%). Majority of the babies (63.3%) were admitted in the neonatal care unit when they were due for ROP screening with an average duration of stay of 35.5 days.Conclusion:The main barriers to early screening for ROP were related to availability of trained human resources, ignorance of “parents and health care personnel,” and distance from the point of care. This calls for training of ophthalmologists, advocacy with neonatologists and parents, and create systems for better coordination and compliance of the care providers.

Vitreous Bands Identified by Handheld Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Among Premature Infants

Handheld spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) can provide insights into the complex interactions occurring at the vitreoretinal interface in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) to enhance our understanding of ROP pathology. To characterize vitreous bands in premature infants with use of handheld SD-OCT. Prospective cohort study conducted from July 7, 2015, to February 28, 2017, at 2 university-based neonatal intensive care units. Seventy-three premature infants who required routine ROP screening examination were recruited. Informed consent was obtained from all legal guardians. Trained graders who were masked to the clinical assessment analyzed each SD-OCT scan of the right eye for vitreoretinal findings. A third trained grader mediated disagreements. Associations between the presence of vitreous bands in premature infants with ROP diagnoses and the presence of other vitreoretinal SD-OCT findings were investigated. Of the 73 infants recruited, 6 infants' parents withdrew their children from the study, and 2 infants were too hemodynamically unstable for imaging, leaving a total of 65 participants. Of these, 32 (49%) were female, 36 (55%) were white, 10 (15%) were Hispanic, 3 (5%) were Native American, 4 (6%) were African American, 4 (7%) were Asian/Pacific Islander, and 8 (12%) were other. The mean (SD) gestational age was 28 (2.7) weeks, the mean (SD) birth weight was 997 g (286 g), and the mean (SD) postmenstrual age at imaging was 34 (3) weeks (mean [SD] total of 3 [2] imaging sessions). Comparing the 24 infants (37%) who had a right eye vitreous band at any time with the 41 (63%) who did not, no difference in mean birth weight, gestational age, postmenstrual age at imaging, sex, or race/ethnicity was identified. No associations with ROP stage (eg, in 6 [25%] infants with vitreous bands vs 4 [9.8%] in those without; P = .23), presence of plus disease (2 [8%] vs 2 [5%]; P = .84), or type 1 ROP (3 [12%] vs 3 [7%]; P = .66) were identified. Vitreous bands were associated with epiretinal membrane detected on SD-OCT (P = .001) with an odds ratio of 9.4 (95% CI, 2.8-31.3) in 15 [62%] infants with vitreous bands vs 6 [15%] in those without. Vitreous bands were also associated with cystoid macular edema (in 15 [62%] infants with vitreous bands vs 1 [27%] in those without; P = .005) with an odds ratio of 4.5 (95% CI, 1.5-13.3). In this study, the development of vitreous bands was associated with both cystoid macular edema and epiretinal membrane. These findings suggest a tractional pathogenesis to these entities among premature infants. This study did not find a direct association between vitreous bands and severe ROP. Additional study is needed to determine whether vitreous bands represent subclinical hyaloidal organization leading to retinal detachment in advanced ROP.

Changes in Relative Position of Choroidal Versus Retinal Vessels in Preterm Infants.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to characterize a novel finding that relative positions of choroidal and retinal vessels change over time in preterm infants and to identify factors associated with this finding using quantitative analysis.MethodsFundus images were obtained prospectively through a retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) cohort study. Images were excluded if choroidal vessels could not be identified. Changes in relative position of characteristic choroidal landmarks with respect to retinal vessels between two time points 5 to 7 weeks apart were measured. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify associated factors with the amount of change.ResultsThe discovery and replication cohorts included 45 and 58 patients, respectively. Ninety-two of them (89%) were non-Hispanic Caucasians. Changes in relative position of choroidal versus retinal vessels were detected in all eyes of the discovery and replication cohorts (mean amount = 0.42 ± 0.12 and 0.35 ± 0.12 mm, respectively). On combined multiple regression analysis of the two cohorts, type 1 ROP, higher postmenstral age at the first time point, and shorter distance from optic disc to choroidal landmark were significantly associated with less change in relative position.ConclusionsChoroidal vessels grow anteriorly with respect to retinal vessels at posterior pole in preterm infants, suggesting relatively faster peripheral growth of choroidal versus retinal vessels. Eyes with severe ROP showed less difference in growth, which might represent alterations in choroidal development due to advanced ROP. These findings may contribute to better understanding about the physiology of choroidal development and involvement in ROP.

Glaucoma after Lens-Sparing Vitrectomy for Advanced Retinopathy of Prematurity

To report the incidence of, and factors related to, glaucoma after lens-sparing vitrectomy (LSV) surgery in advanced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Retrospective case series at a single tertiary referral pediatric vitreoretinal practice. Four hundred and one eyes from 270 patients were included. The medical records of patients who underwent LSV for stage 4A, 4B, and 5 ROP were retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected from patient charts including gender, gestational age at birth, birthweight, stage of ROP at presentation, prior treatment (laser or cryotherapy), subsequent retinal surgeries, presence of glaucoma, time to glaucoma (interval between LSV and the onset of glaucoma), date of lensectomy (ifperformed), and retinal attachment status at last visit. Lensectomy was considered as a time-dependent covariate in the analysis. Incidence of glaucoma and potential risk factors for time to glaucoma. Among 401 eyes with advanced ROP, 40 eyes (10.0%) had glaucoma during a mean of 3.06±4.11 years of follow-up. The incidence of glaucoma was 6.9% (17/247) in stage 4A, 12.0% (16/133) in stage 4B, and 33.3% (7/21) in stage 5 ROP. Twenty-one percent of eyes (87/401) required lensectomy at a mean of 1.23±2.19 years after LSV. In univariate analysis, having stage 5 ROP (vs. stage 4 ROP) and presence of lensectomy were found to be significantly associated with time to glaucoma (hazard ratio= 6.76, 95% confidence interval= 2.19-20.88, P= 0.001; hazard ratio= 3.06, 95% confidence interval= 1.56-6.0, P= 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, lensectomy was the only significant independent factor associated with time to glaucoma (hazard ratio= 2.76, 95% confidence interval= 1.371-5.581, P= 0.004). Patients with more severe ROP had a higher incidence of glaucoma after lens-sparing vitrectomy. If a patient required lensectomy owing to progression of ROP and/or presence of lens opacity, then the hazard ofhaving glaucoma significantly increased compared with those without lensectomy.

The evolution of refractive status in Chinese infants during the first year of life and its affected factors.

To study the evolution of the refractive status and examine the affected factors in infants during the first year of life in a large sample size in China. A total of 1258 babies (2516 eyes) aged 32wk gestational age to 1y participated in the study, including 766 premature and 492 full-term infants. First, each baby received an orthoptic examination, slit-lamp checking and fundus imaging. Patients with diseases which might affect refractive status were excluded from the cohort. The cycloplegia retinoscopy was performed. Their neonatal histories were reviewed. Each measurement contained the refractive status and calculation of the spherical equivalent (SE). Refractive state showed an average hyperopia of +0.94±1.63 D at early ages, followed by a trend toward more hyperopia. The refractive state reached the top (+2.43±1.46 D) at the age of one to two months. Then gliding till one year old when the refractive state reached +0.59±1.41 D. The prevalence of astigmatism was 42.17% in the study, being 2.82% myopic astigmatism and 39.35% hyperopic astigmatism. The 94.1% of hyperopic astigmatism was with-the-rule astigmatism and 71.83% of myopic astigmatism was with-the-rule astigmatism. Refractive state between boys and girls was different. The mean SE of boys was +1.97±1.57 D, while that of girls was +1.79±1.46 D, and the difference was significant. Before one year old, the change of refractive status is associated with checking age and sex. At the age of one to two months, the degree of hyperopia reaches the top. Boys have more hyperopic degree than girls, and with-the-rule astigmatism is predominant. Excluding premature infants with advanced retinopathy of prematurity, premature and full-term children have same refraction status.

Treatment for stage 4A retinopathy of prematurity: laser and/or ranibizumab.

Stage 4A retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a critical phase where retinal detachment develops, but fovea is preserved. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of the first treatment choice (laser photocoagulation (LPC) or intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR)) applied in this critical phase on the prognosis of the disease. Records of patients diagnosed with stage 4A ROP and whose first treatment was applied in our clinic were evaluated retrospectively. All patients were referred to our clinic for the treatment of advanced ROP . While group 1 was composed of the patients who were administered LPC as first treatment, group 2 included patients where IVR was applied as first treatment. The patients in both groups were referred to surgical treatment in the presence of progression. The present study included a total of 31 eyes in 16 patients with stage 4A ROP. Eighteen eyes of nine patients in group 1 were first applied LPC, and 13 eyes of seven patients in group 2 were first applied intravitreal ranibizumab. While anatomic outcomes of ten eyes in both groups were favorable, eight eyes in group 1 and three eyes in group 2 displayed progression and were referred to vitreoretinal surgery. Laser and/or IVR treatment may be effective as a non-surgical treatment for stage 4A ROP. Especially stage 4A ROP until 6 clock hours can regress without surgical treatment. However, in stage 4A with involvement wider than 6 clock hours, non-surgical regression is difficult. Prospective controlled large series studies are necessary.