Screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity: Results of a Retrospective 3-Year Study of 502 Infants

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the surveillance, results of screening, and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a university hospital setting in southeast France. Patients and Methods: Five hundred two premature infants were included in the screening protocol between January 1997 and December 1999. Criteria for inclusion in the study were a gestational age of 32 weeks or younger, a birth weight of less than 1,501 g, or both. The first fundus examination was performed between 4 and 6 weeks of life. Thereafter, fundus examination was performed in the absence of ROP every 2 weeks until complete retinal vasculature developed, gestational age of 50 weeks, or death. Examination was weekly in cases of retinopathy, biweekly if progression was ascertained, and less frequent only if regression was evident. Hospital records were reviewed to assess the presence or absence and eventual degree of ROP. Results: Stage 1 was observed in 32 infants, and stage 2 in 11 infants; all of these cases regressed. Three cases of bilateral stage 3 (two threshold and one prethreshold) disease underwent diode laser peripheral retinal ablation and regressed. One infant with bilateral stage 3 disease who underwent peripheral cryoablative surgery progressed to stage 4A in one eye and 4B in the other eye and then underwent scierai buckling surgery in the second eye. Conclusions: Despite survival increasing with improved neonatal intensive care, the incidence of ROP does not appear to be increasing. In our center, the incidence appears to be lower than previously reported. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2004;41:31-34.

Results of screening for retinopathy of prematurity in a large nursery in Kuwait: Incidence and risk factors

“…[7121516] In a study conducted in our center in 1996-97, ROP was found among 64.5% of babies with birth weight of less than 2000 g.[17] The higher incidence of ROP could be due to smaller babies in the earlier cohort. [17] A decreasing incidence of ROP has been observed by some authors[4519] and this has been attributed to the introduction of use of Surfactant[5] or to the improving neonatal care and better monitoring of oxygen saturation. [19]…”

“…[815] Some studies have reported incidence of less than 5% of severe ROP needing laser treatment. [4–6] Chow et al [21] reported zero incidence of severe ROP needing treatment and attributed it to a protocol of improved management of oxygen administration.…”

“…The reported incidence of acute ROP varies from 9 to 65.8% and that of threshold ROP varies from 0.79 to 27%. [4–9]…”

Comparison of Vitamin D Levels in Premature Infants with and without Retinopathy of Prematurity

“…The prevalence of RoP in a previous study was 68% in stage I, 23.5% in stage II, and 8.5% in stage III. 23 Also, another study reported that 30.2% of infants under 1500 g suffered from stage I and II RoP and 16.6% of them suffered from stage III and above. In infants weighing 1500 to 2500 g, 3.2% had stage I and II RoP, and 0.6% had stage III and above.…”