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[Diode laser photocoagulation of retinopathy of prematurity]
A Galván Ledesma1, C Morales Guillén, M T Pastor Ramos
1Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España. antoniogalvanledesma@hotmail.com
Insights
Diode laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) shows excellent anatomical outcomes. However, prematurity remains a significant cause of infant visual impairment due to associated neurological issues.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Pediatric Surgery
Context:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Early detection and treatment are crucial for managing ROP.
- Diode laser photocoagulation is a standard treatment modality for ROP.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of diode laser photocoagulation in treating retinopathy of prematurity.
- To analyze anatomical and functional outcomes of ROP treatment.
- To identify factors influencing treatment success and complications.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed 147 eyes of premature infants treated for ROP between 2004-2008.
- 96.5% of eyes achieved good anatomical results; 84.85% showed good functional results after 9 months.
- Pre-threshold ROP predominated (84.35%); poor outcomes were linked to neurological diseases and intraventricular hemorrhages.
Impact:
- Diode laser photocoagulation provides highly effective anatomical results for ROP when timely intervention occurs.
- Neurological disturbances associated with prematurity significantly impact long-term visual function.
- This study highlights the importance of comprehensive care for premature infants with ROP, addressing both ocular and neurological aspects.
Objective:
To describe diode laser photocoagulation results in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in our hospital.
Material And Method:
Retrospective cross-sectional study based on clinical histories of the premature infants treated during the period from 2004 to 2008.
Results:
In the treated group we found a predominance of pre-threshold retinopathy versus threshold retinopathy (84.35% vs 15.65%). The anatomic results were good in 96.5% of 147 eyes. None of the treated eyes in pre-threshold stage showed a poor result. Nine months after treatment, 84.85% of 132 eyes showed good functional results. A poor visual response was associated in most of the cases with neurological diseases. Infants with intraventricular haemorrhages had the worst anatomical and functional results. Strabismus (23.5%) and nystagmus (10.3%) rates were high, probably due to the increased prevalence of neurological diseases. The mortality rate in treated children was 7.3%.
Conclusions:
Diode laser photocoagulation in ROP offers very good anatomical results when performed at the appropriate time. Nevertheless, prematurity is still a very important cause of visual dysfunction in infancy due to the associated neurological disturbances.
