Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To examine the peripheral and central visual field in 10-year-old prematurely born children with a birth weight ≤ 1500 g and to compare them with children of the same age born at term. Methods: Four groups of 10-year-old children were examined: 1) a control group of 24 children born at term, 2) 20 prematurely born children without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), 3) 21 prematurely born children with non-treated ROP (stage 2-3), 4) 21 prematurely born children cryo-treated in the neonatal period due to severe ROP. The peripheral visual field extent was examined with kinetic Goldmann perimetry along 8 meridia using the V-4e and II-4e stimuli. Static high-pass resolution perimetry (HRP), determining resolution thresholds in 50 locations, was used to evaluate the central visual field within 30°. Results: The peripheral visual field extent was significantly constricted among children with cryo-treated ROP (group 4) compared to the other groups (1-3), approximately 9% for stimulus V-4e and 12% for stimulus II-4e. No difference was observed between the groups of non-treated prematurely born children, prematurely born children without ROP and the control group. Resolution thresholds in the central visual field were higher in the prematurely born children compared to the controls. The cryo-treated children did not differ from the rest of the preterms in this respect. Conclusion: The peripheral visual field was slightly constricted in cryo-treated children but not in the remainder of prematurely born children, compared to controls. Whether this was caused by the treatment or by severe ROP, remains unknown. The elevation of resolution thresholds in the central visual field in the prematurely born children reflects a reduced density of retino-cortical neural channels. This was not related to ROP or cryo-treatment, Hence, cryo-therapy, or severe ROP per se, may lead to a small but significant constriction in the peripheral visual field but not to a reduction in the central visual field, as compared to untreated prematurely born children.
Keywords: 572 retinopathy of prematurity • 624 visual fields • 511 perimetry