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LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN CHOROIDAL THICKNESS IN CHILDREN WITH A HISTORY OF PREMATURITY: An 18-Month Prospective Cohort
Yung-Sung Lee1,2, Laura Liu2, Nan-Kai Wang2,3
1Department of Ophthalmology, New Taipei Municipal Tucheng Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Insights
Preterm children show greater choroidal thinning over time compared to full-term children. Axial elongation is linked to reduced choroidal thickness in school-age children, impacting eye development.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Prematurity is a significant risk factor for various ocular complications.
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can have long-term effects on visual development.
- Understanding choroidal changes is crucial for managing ROP sequelae.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate longitudinal changes in choroidal thickness in school-age children with a history of prematurity.
- To compare choroidal development between full-term children and those with treated or regressed ROP.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study involving 208 children (416 eyes) categorized into full-term control, preterm, spontaneously regressed ROP, intravitreal bevacizumab-treated ROP, and laser-treated ROP groups.
- Choroidal thickness was measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) at four 6-month intervals.
- Axial length changes were also recorded and analyzed in relation to choroidal thickness.
Main Results:
- Laser-treated ROP eyes exhibited the thinnest choroids compared to full-term controls.
- Preterm children demonstrated significantly greater choroidal thickness attenuation over time than full-term children.
- Axial length elongation was negatively correlated with choroidal thickness changes across all groups.
Conclusions:
- Preterm children experience more pronounced choroidal thinning over time compared to full-term children.
- No significant difference in choroidal thinning rates was found between intravitreal bevacizumab and laser treatments for ROP.
- Axial elongation is a key factor associated with choroidal thinning in school-age children, highlighting potential long-term structural changes post-ROP.
Purpose:
To evaluate choroidal changes over time in school-age children with a history of prematurity.
Methods:
A study of 416 eyes of 208 eligible participants, including 88, 190, 36, 56, and 46 eyes in the full-term control, preterm, spontaneously regressed retinopathy of prematurity, intravitreal bevacizumab (injection of bevacizumab)-treated retinopathy of prematurity, and laser-treated retinopathy of prematurity groups, respectively, were enrolled in this study. The choroidal thickness was measured 4 times at 6-month intervals using optical coherence tomography.
Results:
Of all the groups, the laser-treated children had the thinnest choroid compared with full-term children (-52.3 µ m, P = 0.04). Preterm children exhibited greater attenuation in choroidal thickness over time than did full-term children (-6.3 ± 26.9 and -1.1 ± 12.8 µ m/year, P = 0.03), whereas no difference was observed between injection of bevacizumab and laser treatments (-4.6 ± 18.9 and -2.0 ± 15.7 µ m/year, P = 0.46). In all groups, the changes in axial length were negatively associated with the changes in choroidal thickness (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
A greater attenuation in choroid thickness over time was observed in preterm children than in full-term children, but this attenuation did not differ between injection of bevacizumab and laser treatments. Axial elongation was associated with choroidal thinning in school-age children.
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