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The Severity of Retinopathy in the Extremely Premature Infants
Alexandra Trivli1, Maria Polychronaki2, Charoula Matalliotaki3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Konstantopouleio General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) affects 4.5% of extremely premature infants. Infants born at or before 27 weeks gestational age are at higher risk for advanced ROP stages.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Ophthalmology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Early detection and management are crucial for preventing severe visual outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and severity of ROP in extremely premature infants.
- To identify risk factors and outcomes associated with ROP development.
- To evaluate the relationship between gestational age and ROP severity.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 200 premature births, focusing on 9 cases with ROP.
- Exclusion criteria: gestational age > 30 weeks, incomplete medical records.
- Ophthalmic examination using cyclopentolate 1% and phenylephrine 5% drops with direct ophthalmoscopy.
Main Results:
- ROP incidence was 4.5% over a 9-year period.
- Infants ≤27 weeks gestational age (Group 1) exhibited more advanced ROP stages compared to those >27 to ≤30 weeks (Group 2).
- 100% of Stage 3 ROP cases (11 out of 18 eyes) were observed in Group 1.
Conclusions:
- ROP severity is linked to earlier gestational age, lower birth weight, and oxygen supplementation.
- Close collaboration between medical and nursing staff is essential for ROP prevention and avoiding blindness.
- Timely intervention based on gestational age is critical for managing ROP.
Objective:
We aimed to investigate the incidence and the severity of retinopathy of extremely premature infants and to evaluate the risk factors and outcome of the cases.
Materials And Methods:
Out of 200 premature births, we retrospectively reviewed 9 cases that developed ROP. We excluded cases where ROP developed in newborns > 30 weeks of gestational age and cases where medical notes were unavailable or incomplete. Topical drops of cyclopentolate 1% and phenylephrine 5% were instilled and fundoscopy was performed using a direct ophthalmoscope.
Results:
The incidence of ROP was 4.5% in the 9-year period. The infants were divided into two groups. Group 1 included premature infants ≤27 weeks of age and Group 2 included those >27 weeks but ≤ 30 weeks of age. We found that the infants of Group 1 showed advanced stages of ROP in comparison to Group 2. Out of 18 eyes, 11 eyes had stage 3 ROP and they were all found in Group 1 (100% of cases).
Conclusion:
The severity of ROP was associated with earlier gestational age, lower birth weight, and oxygen supplementation. Constant cooperation between physicians and nursing staff is necessary to avoid undetected cases and further prevent ROP related blindness.
