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Longitudinal assessment of plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity using color Doppler imaging
Daniel Neely1, Alon Harris, Elizabeth Hynes
1Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Indianapolis, 46202, USA. deneely@iupui.edu
Insights
Serial color Doppler imaging of retrobulbar blood flow did not predict plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This method was not useful for managing ROP or confirming plus disease in premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatal Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is characterized by retinal vascular changes and the development of plus disease.
- Early detection and management of ROP are crucial for preventing vision loss in premature infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utility of serial retrobulbar blood flow examinations using color Doppler imaging (CDI) for predicting plus disease in ROP.
- To determine if CDI can serve as an objective tool for confirming plus disease in premature infants.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 73 infants with retinopathy of prematurity.
- Serial color Doppler imaging (CDI) examinations of retrobulbar blood flow over several weeks.
- Comparison of blood flow characteristics between infants who developed plus disease and those who did not.
Main Results:
- 14 out of 73 infants (19%) developed plus disease, confirmed by expert panel.
- No significant differences in retrobulbar blood flow characteristics (central retinal artery, ophthalmic artery) were found between infants with and without plus disease.
- Color Doppler imaging did not demonstrate clinical utility in the longitudinal management of ROP.
Conclusions:
- Serial retrobulbar blood flow assessment using CDI is not a useful predictor of plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity.
- Color Doppler imaging is not a reliable objective tool for confirming plus disease in premature infants.
- CDI has limited clinical value in the management and diagnosis of ROP-related vascular complications.
Abstract:
Retinal vascular changes and the development of plus disease are the hallmarks of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether or not serial examinations of retrobulbar blood flow characteristics, as measured by color Doppler imaging (CDI) performed repeatedly over a period of several weeks, would be useful for predicting those infants at risk for developing plus disease and to determine whether this technique may be used as an objective tool for confirming the presence of plus disease. Of the 73 infants followed in this study, 14 (19%) developed plus disease confirmed by a panel of experts. When comparing the group of infants developing plus disease with those infants who did not develop plus disease, we did not find any significant differences in the retrobulbar blood flow characteristics of either the central retinal or ophthalmic arteries. Color Doppler imaging did not appear to be a clinically useful tool in the longitudinal management of ROP, nor did it appear to be useful as an objective determinant of plus disease in these premature infants.
