[Retinal vessels in retinopathy of prematurity]

To define diagnostic morphometric parameters of central fundus and peripheral retinal vessels that characterize different types of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) course.

A total of 155 premature infants (310 eyes) with stage I, II, and III ROP were assessed as they were undergoing treatment in the Kaluga branch of "Eye Microsurgery" complex during 2010-2012. Patients with the same stage of the disease were divided into two groups according to the type of ROP course (type 1--ROP with low risk of progression, type 2--ROP with high risk of progression). Original ROP-MORPHOMETRY software was used for morphometric analysis of digital images of the fundus taken with RetCam 120 and RetCam 3 through a 130 degree lens.

Regardless the stage of the disease, larger diameter of retinal vessels and higher tortuosity index was found in type 2 ROP (favorable) as compared with type 1 ROP (unfavorable). An observation was made, that the father from the central fundus the narrower became the vessels of both nasal and temporal arcades.

The obtained quantitative morphometric data can help to clearly determine the risk of progression at any stage of ROP.