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[Screening for retinopathy of prematurity: results of one centre between 1991 and 2002]
C Jandeck1, U Kellner, H Heimann
1Universitätsaugenklinik, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin. claudia.jandeck@charite.de
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) incidence remained stable despite increased survival of premature infants. Treatment timing for ROP correlated better with postnatal age than postmenstrual age.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Public Health
Context:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of blindness in premature infants.
- Screening and timely treatment are crucial for preventing vision loss.
- This study analyzes ROP outcomes from a single tertiary care center over a decade.
Purpose:
- To analyze the incidence, disease stages, and treatment timing for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
- To evaluate ROP screening effectiveness in a tertiary care setting.
- To compare treatment timing correlations with gestational and postnatal age.
Summary:
- A 10-year study of 666 premature infants (GA < 33 weeks or BW < 1501 g) found stable ROP incidence despite decreasing gestational age and birth weight.
- Most infants (69.1%) had no ROP; severe stages (stage three) were observed in 9.3%.
- Treatment was administered to 5.1% of infants, with timing correlating better to postnatal age (mean 10.7 weeks) than postmenstrual age.
Impact:
- Findings suggest ROP screening protocols are effective in identifying infants needing timely treatment.
- The study provides valuable data for optimizing ROP management strategies.
- Results indicate ROP incidence is comparable to international benchmarks, despite increased survival of very premature infants.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to analyse the results of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening, stage of disease and time of treatment from one tertiary care centre.
Patients And Methods:
Between 1991 and 2001, 666 infants with a gestational age (GA) < 33 weeks or birth weight (BW) less than < 1501 g were examined. Coagulation treatment was performed in accordance with the Cryo-ROP study, after reaching the threshold. All infants were followed-up until a stable retinal situation was reached.
Results:
Mean GA of the 666 infants was 28.5 +/- 2.3 weeks. Mean BW was 1180 +/- 372 g. During the years of screening, the GA and BW significantly decreased, but no significant change in the yearly incidence of ROP was detected. 460 (69.1 %) of the infants did not develop any stage of ROP. Maximum stage of ROP in the worse eye was stage one in 51 (7.6 %) infants, stage two in 59 (8.9 %) infants and stage three below threshold in 62 (9.3 %) infants. 34 (5.1 %) infants were treated with coagulation treatment. Mean time of treatment was 36.5 weeks postmenstrual age, or 10.7 weeks postnatal age. Postnatal age showed a better correlation to treatment time than postmenstrual age. No infant was treated before seven weeks of life and not before 32 weeks postmenstrual age.
Conclusion:
In spite of the increasing survival of children with lower GA and BW the incidence of ROP has not increased, and the incidence of ROP in our centre appears to be comparable to other international studies. In contrast to the Cryo-ROP study, treatment time correlates better to postnatal age than to postmenstrual age. All infants who underwent treatment were detected at an appropriate time using German screening guidelines.
