Birth Weight Correlation With Ocular Blood Flow Changes as Measured by Color Doppler Imaging in Retinopathy of Prematurity

Abstract

Purpose:: To evaluate whether or not birth weight may influence blood flow as measured by color Doppler imaging (CDI) in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods:: Seventy-three high risk preterm infants with birth weights less than 1230 grams with a mean baseline gestational age of 184.2 (SD 11.6) days underwent blood flow measurements with CDI. Measurements focused on the ophthalmic artery (OA) and the central retinal artery (CRA). Measured parameters were peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistive index (RI). Regression analysis was used to model the dependency of ocular blood flow changes and birth weight.

Results:: Of the 73 infants followed in this study, there did not appear to be any significant correlation between any of the examined parameters and birth weight. Separating the group of infants in those developing plus disease ROP from the group of infants with more mild disease who did not require treatment, analysis showed the best correlation coefficient (0.66) between birth weight and left eye CRA PSV followed by the right OA RI (0.45). All other parameters showed weaker correlations to the birth weight. In the group without plus disease, there were overall weaker or no correlations between birth weight and blood flow parameters.

Conclusions:: Color Doppler imaging can provide reproducible, high-resolution measurements of ocular blood flow status in premature infants and may possibly indicate higher vascular resistance in ROP when looking at advanced pathological conditions like plus disease.

Keywords: optic flow • retinal development • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)