Abstract
Purpose:
Describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) who were screened and treated in 11 Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Colombia between January 2008 - June 2012.
Methods:
749 eyes were examined in 377 infants born with a gestational age (GA) of 32 weeks or less and a birth weight (BW) of 1750 g or less. One observer screened all infants at the fifth week of life or by 34 weeks post- conception.
Results:
152 of 377 patients (40%) had any type of ROP, affecting 299 eyes. 181 eyes of 97 patients required surgery (24%). 127 eyes of 69 patients required Laser Photocoagulation and 54 eyes of 28 patients required Primary Rescue Therapy (Laser and intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF). 34 eyes of 18 patients in the laser group were lost to follow-up and 4 eyes of 2 infants in the Primary Rescue Therapy group were similarly lost to follow-up. In addition, 4 eyes of 3 patients of this last group were excluded due to progression to Stage 4 ROP before treatment. In this report we analyze the results of the Primary Rescue Therapy Group. 46 eyes of 23 patients had a mean GA of 27,6 weeks. More than 50% of infants were born between 27 and 29 weeks. 100% of the patients with ROP were born < 32 weeks of gestation. The mean BW was 1008,4 g. 87% of the infants of this group weighed 1500 g or less at birth. 6/23 (26%) had a BW of between 1001 and 1500 g and 14/23 (61%) had a BW of 1000 g or less. All infants of this group had Threshold ROP. Eight eyes (17,39%) required a second rescue therapy treatment (fifteen days after the initial therapy) in order to obtain regression of ROP.
Conclusions:
The development of ROP is related to low birth weight and gestational age. In our series, the infants had a mean BW of 1008 g with 87% of infants having a BW of 1500 g or less. 61% had a BW of 1000 g or less. In our group of patients, this was a significant risk factor in the development of threshold ROP. The combination of Laser and Anti-VEGF proved to be effective in treating Threshold ROP and halting the progression of the ROP in 93.5% of infants. Finally, 8/46 eyes (17.3%) required a second treatment in order to obtain the complete regression of the disease.
Keywords: 706 retinopathy of prematurity