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Prospective Longitudinal Evaluation of the Peripheral Choroidal Thickness in High-Risk Infants with Retinopathy of
Mohamed A Hussein1, Evelyn Paysse1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Insights
Peripheral choroidal thinning, relative to retinal thickness, is significantly associated with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in high-risk infants. This finding may aid in early ROP detection and management.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Early detection and monitoring of ROP are crucial for timely intervention.
- The role of peripheral choroidal development in ROP pathogenesis requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate peripheral choroidal development and thickness in high-risk premature infants using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
- To assess the relationship between choroidal characteristics and the severity of retinopathy of prematurity.
Main Methods:
- Serial OCT evaluations were performed over 6 weeks in infants born at or before 25 weeks gestation or weighing less than 700 grams.
- Choroidal thickness and the choroidal thickness to retinal thickness ratio (C/R ratio) were measured centrally and peripherally.
- Changes in choroidal thickness and C/R ratio were analyzed over time and compared between infants with and without severe ROP.
Main Results:
- Infants who developed severe ROP exhibited significantly thinner mean peripheral choroidal thickness compared to those without severe ROP (P=0.02).
- The mean C/R ratio was significantly lower in infants with severe ROP across all evaluated locations (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Peripheral choroidal thickness, relative to retinal thickness, is significantly reduced in infants with severe ROP.
- These findings suggest that peripheral choroidal changes may serve as an indicator for severe ROP.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to prospectively follow up the peripheral choroidal development and thickness for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in high-risk premature infants using optic coherence tomography.
Materials And Methods:
All infants included in the analysis had an optical coherence tomography (OCT) evaluation, serially over 6 weeks, starting at the first ROP screening exam and at each follow-up screening exam. We included infants born at or earlier than 25 weeks of gestation, weighing less than 700 grams, and those who developed interventricular hemorrhage. We evaluated the choroidal thickness and development, centrally and at the extreme nasal and temporal periphery, for each eye with each ROP screening exam. Changes in the choroidal thickness and the choroidal thickness to retinal thickness ratio (C/R ratio) were evaluated over time not only for each individual infant, but between the infants as well.
Results:
Six infants met our inclusion criteria. Infants with severe ROP had a mean choroidal thickness that was significantly thinner in the extreme temporal periphery than infants that did not develop significant ROP (P=0.02). The mean value of the C/R ratio was smaller in infants with severe ROP compared to those that did not develop any significant ROP at any of the evaluated locations (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The peripheral choroid appears to be significantly thinner relative to the retinal thickness in infants with severe ROP.
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