[Monocular indirect argon laser photocoagulation for advanced retinopathy of prematurity]

A retrospective study of monocular indirect argon laser retinal photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was performed on 53 eyes of 36 premature infants, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Juntendo hospital from Jan. 1988 to Dec. 1990. The argon laser beam was delivered from an argon laser source located in the outpatient clinic to the NICU through a 50-meter fiber-optic cable. Thirty-eight eyes of 27 infants showing stage 3 middle substage of ROP retained a mild grade of cicatrical ROP. Fifteen eyes of 8 infants showed "Plus disease". Five eyes of these retained a severe grade of cicatrical ROP. The success rate of ROP treatment by laser photocoagulation was more satisfactory than in xenon are photocoagulation with cryotherapy. This method has slight technical difficulties, but the infants could be treated in a supine position in the incubators. Thus, monocular indirect argon laser retinal photocoagulation is a useful method in the treatment of ROP.