Binocularity outcomes following treatment for retinopathy of prematurity

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of childhood visual impairment. Treatment options for severe ROP include laser and/or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections. Previous studies have compared the 2 treatments for functional outcomes including visual acuity, amblyopia, and strabismus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of treatment on binocularity.

In this masked, cross-sectional study, binocularity was measured using Bagolini lenses and the Frisby stereotest in children aged 3-8 years with a history of ROP treatment in 2 Canadian centres. Events associated with disruption of binocularity including amblyopia, anisometropia, and strabismus, were recorded and analyzed as secondary outcomes.

A total of 42 children were recruited: 19 were treated with laser and 23 with an anti-VEGF agent. The mean age at the time of assessment in the laser group was 81.2 (6.8 years) ± 16.2 months versus 63 (5.25 years) ± 15.7 months in the anti-VEGF group (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference in rates of binocularity was detected (68% laser vs 82% anti-VEGF, p = 0.27). Laser-treated participants experienced a greater number of cumulative insults to binocularity (p = 0.01).

Patients with a history of ROP treated with laser or anti-VEGF agents require long-term follow-up to address binocularity-disrupting factors. Although we did not detect a difference in rates and level of binocularity between treatment groups, we did find an increased rate of cumulative binocularity disrupting events in the laser-treated group.