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Incidence and severity of retinopathy of prematurity in Turkey
Ahmet Yagmur Bas1, Esin Koc2, Ugur Dilmen3
1Department of Neonatology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) affects 30% of preterm infants in Turkey, with 5% experiencing severe ROP. More mature infants are also at risk, necessitating effective screening and treatment programs.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in preterm infants.
- Estimating the current incidence and treatment needs for ROP in Turkey is crucial for public health planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of any ROP and severe ROP in preterm infants in Turkey.
- To assess the treatment requirements for ROP in this population.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of 15,745 preterm infants screened for ROP between 2011 and 2013.
- Inclusion criteria included infants with birth weight (BW) ≤1500g or ≤32 weeks' gestational age (GA), and those with BW >1500g or >32 weeks' GA with an unstable clinical course.
- Data collected included ROP incidence, severity, and treatment modalities.
Main Results:
- Overall ROP incidence was 30%, with severe ROP in 5% of infants.
- Severe ROP occurred in 8.2% of infants with BW ≤1500g and 0.6% of infants with BW >1500g.
- 16.5% of ROP cases required laser photocoagulation; 28 infants underwent vitrectomy for severe ROP.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants, including those more mature, are at risk for severe ROP requiring treatment.
- The findings highlight the need for establishing a comprehensive ROP detection and treatment program in Turkey.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to estimate the current incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and the need for treatment in preterm infants in Turkey.
Methods:
The study included preterm infants who had been screened for ROP between 2011 and 2013 in 49 neonatal intensive care units. Infants with birth weight (BW) ≤1500 g or ≤32 weeks' gestational age and those with BW >1500 g or >32 weeks' GA with an unstable clinical course were included. The incidence of any ROP or severe ROP and treatment modalities were determined.
Results:
The study population included 15 745 preterm infants: 11 803 (75%) with GA ≤32 weeks, and 3942 (25%) with GA >32 weeks. Overall, 30% were found to have any stage of ROP, and 5% had severe ROP. Severe ROP was diagnosed in 8.2% of infants with BW ≤1500 g and 0.6% of infants with BW >1500 g. Of all infants diagnosed with ROP, 16.5% needed laser photocoagulation, and 20 patients born at >32 weeks' GA required this treatment modality. Vitroretinal surgery was performed in 28 infants with severe ROP: 23 with GA ≤28 weeks and 5 with GA 29-32 weeks.
Conclusions:
The findings of our study have the important implication that more mature babies are at risk of severe ROP requiring treatment. An effective programme for detecting and treating ROP should be established in Turkey.
Trial Registration Number:
orcid.org/0000-0002-1329-2167.
