Nomogram to predict severe retinopathy of prematurity in Southeast China

AIM:To define the predictive factors of severe retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)and develop a nomogram for predicting severe ROP in southeast China.METHODS:Totally 554 infants diagnosed with ROP hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and hospitalized in Taizhou Women and Children’s Hospital were included.Clinical data and 43 candidate predictive factors of ROP infants were collected retrospectively.Logistic regression model was used to identify predictive factors of severe ROP and to propose a nomogram for individual risk prediction,which was compared with WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model.RESULTS:Infants from the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University(n=478)were randomly allocated into training(n=402)and internal validation group(n=76).Infants from Taizhou Women and Children’s Hospital were set as external validation group(n=76).Severe ROP were found in 52 of 402 infants,12 of 76 infants,and 7 of 76 infants in training group,internal validation group,and external validation group,respectively.Birth weight[odds ratio(OR),0.997;95%confidence interval(CI),0.996-0.999;P<0.001],multiple births(OR,1.885;95%CI,1.013-3.506;P=0.045),and non-invasive ventilation(OR,0.288;95%CI,0.146-0.570;P<0.001)were identified as predictive factors for the prediction of severe ROP,by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis.For predicting severe ROP based on the internal validation group,the areas under receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)was 78.1(95%CI,64.2-92.0)for the nomogram,32.9(95%CI,15.3-50.5)for WINROP model,70.2(95%CI,55.8-84.6)for Digirop-Birth model.In external validation group,AUC of the nomogram was also higher than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model(80.2 versus 51.1 and 63.4).The decision curve analysis of the nomogram demonstrated better clinical efficacy than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model.The calibration curves demonstrated a good consistency between the actual severe ROP incidence and the predicted probability.CONCLUSION:Birth weight,multiple births,and noninvasive ventilation are independent predictors of severe ROP.The nomogram has a good ability to predict severe ROP and performed well on internal validation and external validation in southeast China.

Changes of the peripapillary vascular parameters inpremature infants without retinopathy of prematurityusing U-net segmentation

AIM:To quantitatively assess the changes in mean vascular tortuosity(mVT)and mean vascular width(mVW)around the optic disc and their correlation with gestational age(GA)and birth weight(BW)in premature infants without retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).METHODS:A single-center retrospective study included a total of 133(133 eyes)premature infants[mean corrected gestational age(CGA)43.6wk]without ROP as the premature group and 130(130 eyes)CGA-matched fullterm infants as the control group.The peripapillary mVT and mVW were quantitatively measured using computerassisted techniques.RESULTS:Premature infants had significantly higher mVT(P=0.0032)and lower mVW(P=0.0086)by 2.68(10^(4) cm^(-3))and 1.85μm,respectively.Subgroup analysis with GA showed significant differences(P=0.0244)in mVT between the early preterm and middle to late preterm groups,but the differences between mVW were not significant(P=0.6652).The results of the multiple linear regression model showed a significant negative correlation between GA and BW with mVT after adjusting sex and CGA(P=0.0211 and P=0.0006,respectively).For each day increase in GA at birth,mVT decreased by 0.1281(10^(4) cm^(-3))and for each 1 g increase in BW,mVT decreased by 0.006(10^(4) cm^(-3)).However,GA(P=0.9402)and BW(P=0.7275)were not significantly correlated with mVW.CONCLUSION:Preterm birth significantly affects the peripapillary vascular parameters that indicate higher mVT and narrower mVW in premature infants without ROP.Alterations in these parameters may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of ocular vascular disease.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells derivedexosomes on VEGF-A in hypoxic-induced mice retinal astrocytes and mice model of retinopathy of prematurity

AIM:To observe the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUCMSCs)secretions on the relevant factors in mouse retinal astrocytes,and to investigate the effect of hUCMSCs on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A(VEGF-A)and to observe the therapeutic effect on the mouse model of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).METHODS:Cultured hUCMSCs and extracted exosomes from them and then retinal astrocytes were divided into control group and hypoxia group.MTT assay,flow cytometry,reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and Western blot were used to detect related indicators.Possible mechanisms by which hUCMSCs exosomes affect VEGF-A expression in hypoxia-induced mouse retinal astrocytes were explored.At last,the efficacy of exosomes of UCMSCs in a mouse ROP model was explored.Graphpad6 was used to comprehensively process data information.RESULTS:The secretion was successfully extracted from the culture supernatant of hUCMSCs by gradient ultracentrifugation.Reactive oxygen species(ROS)and hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)of mice retinal astrocytes under different hypoxia time and the expression level of VEGF-A protein and VEGF-A mRNA increased,and the ROP cell model was established after 6h of hypoxia.The secretions of medium and high concentrations of hUCMSCs can reduce ROS and HIF-1α,the expression levels of VEGF-A protein and VEGF-A mRNA are statistically significant and concentration dependent.Compared with the ROP cell model group,the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signal pathway related factors in the hUCMSCs exocrine group is significantly decreased.The intravitreal injection of the secretions of medium and high concentrations of hUCMSCs can reduce VEGF-A and HIF-1αin ROP model tissues.HE staining shows that the number of retinal neovascularization in ROP mice decreases with the increase of the dose of hUCMSCs secretion.CONCLUSION:In a hypoxia induced mouse retinal astrocyte model,hUCMSCs exosomes are found to effectively reduce the expression of HIF-1αand VEGF-A,which are positively correlated with the concentration of hUCMSCs exosomes.HUCMSCs exosomes can effectively reduce the number of retinal neovascularization and the expression of HIF-1αand VEGF-A proteins in ROP mice,and are positively correlated with drug dosage.Besides,they can reduce the related factors on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Predictors and Complications of Prematurity in Two Health Facilities in Fako Division, Southwest Region, Cameroon

Background: Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal mortality. Most preterm births can be associated to an identifiable risk factor. In Cameroon, especially in the Southwest Region, there is limited data regarding prematurity associated risk factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors and complications of prematurity in two health facilities in the Fako division, the BRH and RHL. Methods: A hospital based retrospective case control study was done from the 1st of January 2021 to 28th of February 2022. We assessed the gestational ages at which preterm birth occurred and their short-term outcome using a structured pretested questionnaire to collect data from files. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: The minimum sample size was 137 preterms. 45.5% of cases were born between 34 and increased the risk of having a preterm birth meanwhile being married (AOR: 0.410;95% CI: 0.217 - 0.773;p = 0.006) decreased the risk. Hospital complications were neonatal infection 103 (51.5%), respiratory distress 79 (39.5%) and neonatal jaundice 61 (30.50%). Among the cases, 97 (48.50%) stayed in the hospital for 2 to 4 weeks and 177 (88.5%) were discharged alive. Conclusions: Modifiable factors that increased the risk of prematurity were advanced maternal age, secondary level of education, rural residence, and prenatal alcohol consumption. Being married decreased the risk. The most common hospital complications in both the cases and controls were neonatal infection, respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal jaundice.

Co-Morbidities Associated with Prematurity in Two Referral Hospitals in Cameroon

Introduction: Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal death in Africa. More than a million children die each year due to co-morbidities related to prematurity. In addition to being one of the causes of neonatal deaths, the health problems associated with prematurity can also lead to severe lifelong impairment in those who survive. Objectives: This paper aims to determine the epidemiology and identify co-morbidities of prematurity in the neonatology units of the Douala General Hospital (DGH) and the Laquintinie Hospital of Douala (LHD). Patients and Methodology: We conducted an analytical retrospective cohort study from January 2015 to January 2018 in the neonatology department of the GDH and the LHD, which are considered reference hospitals for the management of preterm babies in Cameroon. We included all newborns aged less than 37 weeks admitted to the neonatology units of the GDH and the LHD. The descriptive component was based on the analysis of quantitative variables using measures of central tendency. The analytical component was evaluated using Spearman correlations and the Chi-square and Fisher tests. Simple and multiple logistic regressions measured factors predictive of mortality. The Kaplan Meier survival curve used the Log Rank test and significance at p ≤ 0.05. Results: We recorded 908 preterm newborns in neonatal service and 1,124 preterm deliveries in maternity, representing an incidence of 32.5% in neonatal unit and 10.6% in maternity. 51% of whom were girls, given a sex ratio M/F of 0.9. Hypertension was the main prenatal pathology (9.1%), while premature rupture of membranes: PROM (35.5%) and eclampsia/pre-eclampsia (18.6%) were the most common obstetrical pathologies. 75.9% of deliveries were vaginal with 65.2% being performed in our referral hospitals. Gestational age ranged from 22 to 36 weeks, with a mean of 32.4 weeks. Late preterm birth rate was 53.7%, and birth weight varied between 590 and 3200 g with an average of 1747 ± 479 g. The percentage of low birth weight (1500 - 2499 g) preterm infants was predominant (65.3%), and the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) was estimated to be 12.4%. The majority (96.7%) had pathologies in the neonatal period, the most common being neonatal infection (86.9%). The case-fatality rate was 27.4%, compared to 72.6% live births. Factors influencing mortality are risk of premature labour, gestational age ≤ 32 SA, premature birth in hospitals other than our two referral hospitals, birth weight ≤ 1500 g, Apgar at the 10th minute, late secondary anaemia, hospital resuscitation, oxygen therapy, and duration of hospitalization Conclusion: The incidence of prematurity and the mortality rate remains high in neonatal units in Cameroon. Adequate monitoring of pregnancies and management of preterm infants remains a challenge in our context.

Recurrence risk factors of intravitreal ranibizumab monotherapy in retinopathy of prematurity:a retrospective study at one center

AIM:To identify risk factors of recurrence of this disorder after intravitreal ranibizumab(IVR)monotherapy.METHODS:Totally 33 eyes of 19 patients who underwent initial IVR treatments for type 1 retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)at our center were retrospectively reviewed between April 1,2016 and December 31,2017.Patient demographics,the side of ROP,multiple gestations,Apgar scores,zone,stage,plus disease,postmenstrual age at injection,surfactant therapy,blood transfusion therapy,hemorrhage before IVR,hemorrhage after IVR,gestational diabetes mellitus,pregnancy-induced hypertension,anemia,intraventricular hemorrhage,sepsis,respiratory distress syndrome,carbohemia,and congenital heart defects were recorded.Adjusted hazard ratios(HRs)and 95%confidence intervals were determined after adjusting for potential confounders using multivariate proportional Cox regression.RESULTS:Of the 33 eyes,12(36.4%)had ROP recurrences 45.3(5.1,50.9)mo after initial IVR treatments.The independent risk factors for ROP recurrences were zone(ⅡvsⅠ,HR:0.056,P=0.003)and gestational diabetes mellitus(no vs yes,HR:0.095,P<0.001).The mean uncorrected visual acuity for four recurrence eyes was 0.46 logMAR(0.13,0.70)at 55.0(51.0,58.9)mo after the initial IVR treatment.The mean uncorrected visual acuity for 10 eyes without recurrence was 0.46 logMAR(0.19,0.63)at 48.0(43.8,58.4)mo after the initial IVR treatment.CONCLUSION:Two independent risk factors for type 1 ROP recurrence after IVR treatment involving zoneⅠand gestational diabetes mellitus are identified,and the mean uncorrected visual acuity is 0.46 logMAR at 51.0(44.0,58.9)mo.The findings of this study are important for followup management and for improving the visual function of ROP patients.

Comprehensive prevention strategies for retinopathy of prematurity:a literature review

Retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)is a kind of disease that can be seen in premature infants.It may cause a series of short-and longterm complications such as poor vision in premature infants,causing irreversible damage to them.Therefore,if we can prevent this disease,we can solve the above problems.This study summarized some factors that influence ROP,such as low gestational age,low birth weight,irrational oxygen use,anemia,blood transfusion,and thrombocytopenia;and also summarized a series of interventions that can prevent or delay the progression of ROP,such as reducing blood transfusion,the application of antenatal corticosteroids,and delaying clip umbilical cord,which can provide some reference for better clinical practice of preventing ROP.

Safety and efficacy of intravitreal anti vascular endothelial growth factor for severe posterior retinopathy of prematurity with flat fibrovascular proliferation

BACKGROUND Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(IVA)injection is known to cause contraction of fibrovascular proliferation(FVP),when present in severe retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).AIM To assess the structural outcomes of IVA injection in the treatment of severe posterior ROP with significant FVP.METHODS It was a retrospective study in which 36 eyes of 18 preterm babies who developed>4 clock hours of FVP in zone I or posterior zone II,were treated with either intravitreal 0.625 mg bevacizumab or intravitreal 0.2 mg of ranibizumab.Favorable structural outcome included resolution of plus disease and FVP without the development of tractional retinal detachment.Secondary outcome measure included either full retinal maturation at follow-up or development of recurrent disease requiring additional treatment.Adverse outcomes included progression to retinal detachment.RESULTS The mean gestational age of the 18 preterm babies was 30 wk(range 27-36),and mean birth weight was 1319 g(range 650-1980 g).Mean post-menstrual age(PMA)at the time of primary treatment was 35.5 wk(range 31-41 wk).All eyes showed regression of plus disease and FVP.5 eyes of 3 babies showed reactivation of disease and were treated with repeat IVA(n=2 eyes)or peripheral laser photocoagulation(n=3 eyes)respectively.16 out of 36(44%)reached retinal vascular maturation at final follow up at 5 years.CONCLUSION There was good resolution of severe posterior ROP with FVP with IVA,with retinal maturity of 44%at 5 year follow-up and a reactivation rate of 13.8%.When the IVA injection is given prior to 37 wk PMA,while disease is in phase 2,it is less likely to cause contracture of pre-existing FVP.

Systemic changes and adverse effects induced by retinopathy of prematurity screening

AIM: To estimate the potential systemic events during and after retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening. ' METHODS: A prospective and descriptive designed study was conducted to detect the physiologic and pathological changes 24h before, during, and 72h after ROP screening. Control blood pressure (BP), saturation, pulse rate, and body temperature were routinely taken at various time internals before and after screening. Adverse effects pertain to cardiovascular system, respiratory system, gastric system, urinary system and nervous system were retrospect 0-72h after ROP screening at a 24-hour interval. RESULTS: Totally 1254 prematurity babies receiving ROP screening during Jan. 1st 2013 to Dec. 31th 2013 were enrolled in our survey. Compared to control vital sign data taken before the examination, there was a fluctuation in the diastolic BP with the increased 3.03 mm Hg (P=0.04) after 3 doses of mydriatic drops. Immediately after the examination, there was a further 12.64 mm Hg (P<0.01) increase in systolic BP and a 7.24 mm Hg (P<0.01) in diastolic BP. The mean pulse rate during examination was 22.4 bpm (P<0.01) higher than the 133.3 +/- 9.0 bpm control level. The oxygen saturation shared an average drop of 5% (P<0.01) during screening. In prematurity with postconceptional age less than 31wk, the incidence of apnea (23.5%), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) (8.7%), gastric residual (25.4%) and upper digestive tract hemorrhage (6.4%) also demonstrated a significant rise (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In our study sample, ROP screening was associated with NEC, gastric residual and upper digestive tract hemorrhage. These gastrointestinal side effects, along with breath activity pattern change and vital signs indicators fluctuation, may be results of additional stress responses.

Preferred practice guidelines for retinopathy of prematurity screening during the COVID-19 pandemic

Retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)is the leading cause of preventable infant blindness in the world and predominantly affects babies who are born low birth weight and premature.India has the largest number of surviving preterm births born annually.ROP blindness can be largely prevented if there is a robust screening program which detects treatment requiring disease in time.ROP treatment must be provided within 48 h of reaching this threshold of treatment making it a relative emergency.During the severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in 2020 ROP screening was disrupted throughout the world due to lockdowns and restriction of movement of these infants,their families,specialists and healthcare workers.The Indian ROP Society issued guidelines for ROP screening and treatment in March 2020,which was aimed at preserving the chain-of-care despite the potential limitations and hazards during the(ongoing)pandemic.This preferred practice guideline is summarized in this manuscript.

Rescue with intravitreal bevacizumab in aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity poorly responsive to laser treatment

Successful management of a case of aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity(APROP)poorly responsive to laser therapy with intravitreal bevacizumab(IVB)is discussed.IVB is useful as rescue therapy in such cases,if given within the correct window period post laser therapy.

Treatment of retinopathy of prematurity: a review of conventional and promising new therapeutic options

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a retinal vascular disease of premature infants, continues to be a major cause of preventable childhood blindness all over the world. The incidence of ROP varies among countries, being influenced by the quality of the level of neonatal intensive care. Here, we discuss the potential treatments that are now available or will soon or probably be available for ROP. Although ablation of the avascular retina with laser photocoagulation remains the current gold standard and well established therapy for ROP, some new therapeutic options including angiostatic therapies are being explored based on our knowledge of the pathophysiology of the ROP and complications and efficacy of laser treatment. However, prevention of the development of severe ROP and screening for ROP seem to be the best strategy in avoiding visual impairment caused by ROP in premature infants. New therapeutic interventions including vascular endothelial growth factor antibody administration, gene therapy and supplemental therapies should be supported with evidence-based data for the treatment of ROP.

Incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity and utility of the national screening criteria in a tertiary center in Iran

AIM: To determine the incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) and the sensitivity of current screening criteria in a tertiary eye center in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: In a cross-sectional observational study, neonates weighing ≤2000 grams at birth or born <34 wk gestational age(GA) and all other infants at risk of ROP admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) or referred to our ROP clinic were investigated. The incidence of ROP and severe ROP(i.e. patients needing treatment) were determined. The associations between risk factors and the development and severity of ROP were assessed. We also examined the sensitivity of the current national screening guideline in Iran. RESULTS: Among 207 infants, the incidence of ROP and severe ROP was 33.3% and 11.1%, respectively. Mean GA and birth weight(BW) were significantly lower in ROP vs non-ROP infants(29±2 wk vs 33±3 wk, P<0.001;1274±489 g vs 1916±550 g, P<0.001, respectively). Univariate analysis displayed significant association between ROP incidence and GA, BW, NICU admission period, blood transfusion, surfactant usage, sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage and patent ductus arteriosus(P<0.05 for all). BW [relative risk(RR): 0.857(0.711-0.873), P<0.001], GA [RR: 0.788(0.711-0.873), P<0.001] and blood transfusion [RR: 1.888(0.995-3.583), P=0.052] were independent ROP risk factors. The sensitivity of country-specific screening guidelines was 95.7% and 100% for overall and severe ROP detection, respectively. CONCLUSION: ROP incidence is relatively high in Iran. Identifying ROP risk factors results in more accurate screening and reduces the risk of irreversible vision loss. The ROP screening criteria utilized in Iran are efficient at the present time.

The progress of prophylactic treatment in retinopathy of prematurity

Retinopathy of prematurity（ROP） is a retinal vascular disorder frequently found in premature infants.Different therapeutic strategies have been developed to treat ROP.However,there are still many children with ROP suffering by severe limitations in vision or even blindness.Recently,ROP has been suggested to be caused by abnormal development of the retinal vasculature,but not simply resulted by retinal neovascularization which takes about 4 to 6 wk after birth in premature infants.Thus,instead of focusing on how to reduce retinal neovascularization,understanding the pathological changes and mechanisms that occur prior to retinal neovascularization is meaningful,which may lead to identify novel target（s） for the development of novel strategy to promote the healthy growth of retinal blood vessels rather than passively waiting for the appearance of retinal neovascularization and removing it by force.In this review,we discussed recent studies about,1） the pathogenesis prior to retinal neovascularization in oxygen-induced retinopathy（OIR;a ROP in animal model） and in premature infants with ROP;2） the preclinical and clinical research on preventive treatment of early OIR and ROP.We will not only highlight the importance of the mechanisms and signalling pathways in regulating early stage of ROP but also will provide guidance for actively exploring novel mechanisms and discovering novel treatments for early phase OIR and ROP prior to retinal neovascularization in the future.

Expression and function of Delta-like ligand 4 in a rat model of retinopathy of prematurity

The Delta-like ligand 4/Notch signaling pathway was shown to participate in the process of retinal development and angiogenesis. However, the function of the Delta-like ligand 4/Notch signaling pathway in retinopathy of prematurity requires further study. Retinopathy of prematurity was induced in 5-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to hyperoxia for 7 days, and then returned to room air. Reverse transcription-PCR and western blot revealed that Delta-like ligand 4 levels decreased at postnatal day 12 and increased at postnatal day 17 in retinopathy of prematurity rats. Flat-mounted adenosine diphosphatase stained retina and hematoxylin-eosin stained retinal tissue slices showed that the clock hour scores and the nuclei counts in retinopathy of prematurity rats were significantly different compared to normal control rats. After retinopathy of prematurity rats were intravitreally injected with Delta-like ligand 4 monoclonal antibody to inhibit the Delta-like ligand 4/Notch signaling pathway, there was a significant increase in the severity of retinal neovascularization （clock hours） in the intravitreally injected eyes. The nuclei count was highly correlated with the clock hour score. These results suggest that Delta-like ligand 4/Notch signaling plays an essential role in the process of physiological and pathological angiogenesis in the retina.

Retinopathy of prematurity: Past, present and future

Retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) is a vasoproliferative disorder of the retina occurring principally in new born preterm infants. It is an avoidable cause of childhood blindness. With the increase in the survival of preterm babies, ROP has become the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness throughout the world. A simple screening test done within a few weeks after birth by an ophthalmologist can avoid this preventable blindness. Although screening guidelines and protocols are strictly followed in the developed nations, it lacks in developing economies like India and China, which have the highest number of preterm deliveries in the world. The burden of this blindness in these countries is set to increase tremendously in the future, if corrective steps are not taken immediately. ROP first emerged in 1940 s and 1950 s, when it was called retrolental fibroplasia. Several epidemics of this disease were and are still occurring in different regions of the world and since then a lot of research has been done on this disease. However, till date very few comprehensive review articles covering all the aspects of ROP are published. This review highlights the past, present and future strategies in managing this disease. It would help the pediatricians to update their current knowledge on ROP.

Spontaneous regression of retinopathy of prematurity:incidence and predictive factors

AIMTo evaluate the incidence of spontaneous regression of changes in the retina and vitreous in active stage of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) and identify the possible relative factors during the regression.

Fluorescein angiography of retinal vascular involution after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab for retinopathy of prematurity

AIM: To describe the involution patterns of vessel growth of retina through fluorescein angiography(FA) of children, who had been under treatment up to 1 y previously intravitreal ranibizumab(IVR) as monotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity(ROP). METHODS: This is a retrospective study. The medical information and FA of 17 children(34 eyes) whose area of avascular retina from the ora serrata was more than two disc diameters(DD) were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 34 eyes, all were the presence of finger-shaped vessels and arteriolar-venular shunts(100%,34/34 eyes). Popcorn abnormalities were found in most of the eyes(94.1%, 32/34 eyes). Furthermore, in many cases(23.5%, 8/34 eyes), there were leakage persisting in the region of the junction between avascular and vascular retina. In contrast, just 2 eyes(5.9%) showed damage of retinal capillary bed and 3 eyes(8.8%) showed large area of retinal pigment epithelium(RPE) atrophy. CONCLUSION: Although IVR can be very effective in ROP, we should remain cautious as infants may remain avascular peripheral retinas and abnormal vessel. FA allows accurate visualization of vessel abnormalities in eyes with ROP, which will be helpful to affect assessment of disease activity and therapeutic effect.

Foveal structure changes in infants treated with anti-VEGF therapy or laser therapy guided by optical coherence tomography angiography for retinopathy of prematurity

AIM: To evaluate foveal vessel density(VD) and foveal thickness using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA) in retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) children treated with laser photocoagulation or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) injection. Additionally, we assessed the relationship between foveal microvascular anomalies and different therapies in ROP children.METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study of patients with a diagnosis of type 1 ROP. Twenty-three eyes(14 patients) treated with anti-VEGF injection and twentynine eyes(17 patients) treated with laser coagulation were included in this study. The foveal VD, inner thickness and full thickness were measured at the central 0°, 2° to 8°, and 8° of the retina(centered on the fovea) using OCTA and cross-sectional OCT, respectively.RESULTS: Foveal VD, inner thickness and full thickness were significantly smaller within the central 8° of the retina in ROP children treated with anti-VEGF injection than in those treated with laser photocoagulation(P=0.013, 0.009, 0.036, respectively). The full thickness was also smaller in the anti-VEGF group than in the laser group at the central 0° of the retina(P=0.010). The grade of foveal hypoplasia is lower in the anti-VEGF group than in the laser group(P=0.045). Multivariable analysis did not find any risk factors associated with visual acuity in our study.CONCLUSION: In children with type 1 ROP, the better structural development of fovea in those who were treated with anti-VEGF injection compared with laser photocoagulation are identified. However, visual acuity outcomes are similar 70 mo after the treatments.

Analysis of risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity

AIM: To analyze the incidence and risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 568 premature infants from September 2005 to December 2010 with birth weight (BW) equal to or less than 2 500g or a gestational age (GA) at birth of 34 weeks or less. All of the members were examined by indirect binocular ophthalmoscopy. RESULTS: ROP occurred with an incidence rate of 10.7% among 568 premature infants, and stages 3 and above ROP occurred with an incidence rate of 2.5%. This study showed the infants were more prone to develop ROP with short geststional age, low BW, long time of oxygen inhalation, and severe infants diseases. Twins had a significantly higher rate of ROP (18.3%) than singleton babies (9.8%), ROP were severer in twins than singleton babies. CONCLUSION: Short GA, low BW, long time of oxygen inhalation, severe infants diseases, and non-singleton babies were the most significant risk factors associated with ROP.