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INCREASED FOVEAL GANGLION CELL AND INNER PLEXIFORM LAYER THICKNESS IN CHILDREN AGED 6.5 YEARS BORN EXTREMELY PRETERM

Rebecka M Rosén1, Kerstin M Hellgren1,2, Abinaya P Venkataraman1

  • 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; and.

Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.)
|June 4, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Extremely preterm birth in children can lead to increased ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (GCL+) thickness and reduced foveal depth (FD). Neonatal factors like retinopathy of prematurity treatment and intraventricular hemorrhage impact these ocular measurements.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Neonatology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Extremely preterm birth (before 27 weeks gestation) poses significant risks for neurodevelopmental and visual impairments.
  • The structural development of the inner retinal layers, specifically the ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (GCL+), is vulnerable to preterm birth complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the GCL+ thickness and foveal depth (FD) in children born extremely preterm versus age-matched controls.
  • To investigate associations between GCL+ thickness, FD, and neonatal risk factors in extremely preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Optical coherence tomography (OCT) B-scan analysis of GCL+ thickness and FD in 6.5-year-old children.
  • Comparison between 89 extremely preterm children and 92 controls.
  • Analysis of associations with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), sex, and gestational age.

Main Results:

  • Extremely preterm children exhibited significantly increased total and central GCL+ thickness and reduced FD compared to controls.
  • Retinopathy of prematurity treatment was linked to greater GCL+ thickness and reduced FD.
  • Severe IVH was associated with reduced total GCL+ thickness, while male sex and gestational age correlated with increased central GCL+ thickness and reduced FD.

Conclusions:

  • Extremely preterm birth can result in incomplete GCL+ extrusion and altered retinal structure, indicated by increased thickness and reduced FD.
  • Neonatal factors including ROP treatment, IVH severity, gestational age, and sex significantly influence these ocular structural changes.
Abstract

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