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Topical glycerine for corneal clouding during retinal laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity
Sarang Lambat1, Samyak Gupta1, Rashmi Nagar1
1Suraj Eye Institute, Nagpur, India.
Insights
Topical glycerine effectively cleared corneal clouding during laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity. This safe method ensured complete treatment in a single session for all infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Medical Interventions
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Laser photocoagulation (PHC) is a standard treatment for ROP, but corneal clouding can impede the procedure.
- Reducing corneal edema is crucial for effective ROP treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical glycerine in managing corneal edema during PHC for ROP.
- To document the impact of glycerine on treatment completion and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 32 eyes of 16 premature infants with ROP undergoing PHC.
- Administration of a single drop of topical glycerine to clear corneal clouding during the PHC session.
- Assessment of treatment adequacy and ocular/systemic adverse events at one week and one month post-procedure.
Main Results:
- Successful completion of PHC in all infants during a single session.
- No ocular or systemic adverse events were reported.
- Absence of skip lesions and no requirement for a second PHC session in any eyes.
Conclusions:
- Topical glycerine is a safe and effective agent for clearing corneal clouding in infants undergoing PHC for ROP.
- Glycerine facilitates complete laser treatment, potentially reducing the need for repeat sessions.
Aim:
To document the use of topical glycerine to reduce corneal edema in cases of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) undergoing laser photocoagulation (PHC).
Methods:
Thirty-two eyes of 16 babies (9 males) with a mean gestational age of 30 weeks, mean gestational weight of 1242 grams underwent PHC for Type 1 (zone 1 disease) retinopathy of prematurity. All babies received a single PHC session. Twenty eyes of 10 babies received intravitreal anti-VEGF injection, 1-3 weeks before PHC session. All patients received a single drop of glycerine during the PHC session to clear the corneal clouding. All patients underwent PHC to the avascular area right up to the ora serrata. Patients were seen at one week and one month to assess the adequacy of laser PHC.
Results:
We were able to complete the PHC for all babies in a single session without any ocular or systemic adverse events. We did not find any skip lesions at follow-up, and the second session of laser PHC was not required in any eyes.
Conclusion:
Topical glycerine is safe and effective to clear corneal clouding in eyes undergoing laser PHC for retinopathy of prematurity.
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