Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate fluorescein angiography (FA) in eyes with aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (AP-ROP).
Methods: :
Three patients (6 eyes) diagnosed with AP-ROP during ROP screening between July 2007 and July 2008 were included in this study. Fundus photographs and FA were detected before and after laser and surgical treatment using a wide-field digital pediatric imaging system.
Results: :
FA at the initial stage of AP-ROP showed vascular abnormalities, including capillary nonperfusion throughout the vascularized retina, shunting in the vascularized retina, a circumferential demarcation line, and limited vessel development, which was difficult to identify only by ophthalmoscopy. FA after treatments showed poorly developed retinal vessels including four small major vessels without an arcade pattern, small macular vessels, an inhomogeneous capillary bed, and absence of a capillary-free zone in the fovea.
Conclusions: :
Capillary bed loss throughout the vascularized posterior retina is characteristic of AP-ROP and may exacerbate the retinopathy.
Keywords: retinopathy of prematurity • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • vascular occlusion/vascular occlusive disease