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Sight-Threatening Retinopathy of Prematurity: Changing Trends in Treatment
Insights
Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) incidence remained stable in premature infants since 1986. However, laser treatment rates for ROP significantly increased between 2003 and 2008.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatal Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Monitoring and treatment protocols for ROP have evolved over time.
- Understanding trends in ROP incidence and treatment is crucial for optimizing infant eye care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and treatment of severe ROP in infants under 30 weeks' gestational age (GA) in NSW and ACT, Australia.
- To compare contemporary ROP data (2003-2008) with historical data spanning over two decades.
- To identify trends in ROP incidence and treatment rates over time.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of ROP data for infants <30 weeks' GA from 2003-2008.
- Data divided into two sub-epochs (2003-2005 and 2006-2008) to assess trends.
- Comparison of incidence and treatment rates with previously reported data from 1986-2002.
Main Results:
- Between 2003-2008, 7.8% of eligible infants were diagnosed with severe ROP, with 59.5% requiring laser therapy.
- No significant changes in severe ROP incidence or treatment rates were observed between the 2003-2005 and 2006-2008 sub-epochs.
- Overall incidence of severe ROP remained stable from 1986 to 2008, but laser treatment rates significantly increased during this period.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of severe ROP in premature infants (<30 weeks' GA) has remained consistent since 1986.
- A notable increase in laser treatment for ROP, including stage 2, was observed from 2003 to 2008.
- Continued surveillance and evaluation of treatment strategies for ROP are warranted.
Purpose:
To study the incidence and treatment of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in infants younger than 30 weeks' gestational age (GA) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia, from 2003 to 2008. These data were then compared to data from previously reported epochs (1986 to 1987, 1992 to 1997, and 1998 to 2002).
Methods:
Data were divided into two sub-epochs (2003 to 2005 and 2006 to 2008) to study trends and combined to compare over 22 years.
Results:
From 2003 to 2008, 2,550 of 3,004 (84.9%) infants survived, 200 (7.8%) were diagnosed as having severe ROP, and 119 (59.5%) required laser therapy. No significant difference in the incidence of severe ROP or treatment rate in infants younger than 27 and 30 weeks' GA from 2003 to 2005 and 2006 to 2008 occurred. Similarly, between 1986 and 2008 there was no difference in the incidence of severe ROP. However, the treatment rate significantly increased during this time.
Conclusions:
The incidence of severe ROP has been stable since 1986. However, laser treatment significantly increased to include 8 infants with stage 2 ROP from 2003 to 2008.
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