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Screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity: Insight into Optimizing Screening
Charlotte Pallot1, Agnès Soudry Faure, Camille Charvy
1Department of Ophthalmology, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France.
Insights
Optimizing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening is crucial. Factors like gestational age and ventilation duration influence ROP detection timing, suggesting individualized screening for preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in preterm infants.
- Early detection and treatment of ROP are critical to prevent vision loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors affecting the interval between preterm birth and ROP detection.
- To optimize the timing of initial ROP screening examinations.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter retrospective study analyzed preterm infants (born <32 weeks GA or <1,500 g) from 2011-2015.
- Fundus photography with a wide-field camera was used for ROP screening.
- Infant characteristics and follow-up data were recorded.
Main Results:
- ROP was detected in 21.6% of 795 analyzed infants.
- The first ROP signs appeared at a mean of 34.0 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) and 7.2 weeks postnatal age (PNA).
- Older gestational age, longer mechanical ventilation, and lower birth weight correlated with delayed ROP detection.
Conclusions:
- Individualized ROP screening timing is recommended.
- Screening should be timed to coincide with the earliest signs of ROP.
- This approach aims to prevent missed ROP diagnoses and reduce unnecessary examinations.
Purpose:
To determine the factors influencing the time from preterm birth and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) detection to optimize the timing of the initial screening.
Methods:
This multicenter retrospective study enrolled preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestational age (GA) and/or weighing less than 1,500 g between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015. ROP screening was performed using fundus photography with a wide-field camera. Population and follow-up characteristics were recorded.
Results:
Among the 1,266 preterm infants observed, 795 were retained for analysis. One hundred seventy-four (21.6%) cases of ROP were detected with the first examination performed at 32.3 ± 1.6 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA) and 5.4 ± 1.0 weeks of postnatal age (PNA). The first signs of ROP were detected at 34.0 ± 1.9 weeks of PMA and 7.2 ± 1.8 weeks of PNA, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, an older GA, a longer duration of mechanical ventilation, and a lower birth weight were correlated with a longer time between preterm birth and ROP detection (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.0359, respectively).
Conclusion:
The first examination for ROP screening should be individualized to fit the first screening examination as closely as possible to the first signs of ROP in order to avoid unnecessary examinations without missing ROP.
