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[Retinopathy of prematurity. Cryotherapy can reduce the risk of severe visual impairment]
1Oyeavdelingen, Rikshospitalet, Oslo.
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of infant blindness. Early screening and transscleral cryotherapy can prevent severe vision loss in premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Perinatal Medicine
Context:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of infant visual impairment and blindness.
- Increasing survival rates of extremely premature infants contribute to a rising incidence of ROP.
- ROP poses a substantial threat to vision in vulnerable newborns.
Purpose:
- To highlight the effectiveness of transscleral cryotherapy in managing ROP.
- To emphasize the need for structured screening programs for high-risk infants.
- To identify infants requiring timely intervention to prevent advanced ROP stages.
Summary:
- Transscleral cryotherapy is an effective treatment for arresting the progression of retinopathy of prematurity.
- A structured screening program, initiated 4-6 weeks post-birth, is crucial for early detection.
- This program targets infants born before 31 weeks of gestation who may benefit from treatment.
Impact:
- Early detection and treatment of ROP can prevent severe visual impairment and blindness.
- Timely intervention preserves sight in infants at high risk for ROP complications.
- Structured screening programs improve outcomes for premature infants susceptible to ROP.
Abstract:
Retinopathy of prematurity is a main cause of severe visual impairment and blindness in infancy. It is reported that the incidence is increasing along with the growing survival of infants with an extremely short gestation period. Transscleral cryotherapy has been shown to be effective in arresting the progression of the disease into the sight-threatening fibrovascular stages. A structured screening programme starting four to six weeks after birth for infants with less than 31 weeks of gestation is needed to identify the relatively few prematurely born infants for whom this treatment is indicated.