Treatment Outcome of Threshold Retinopathy of Prematurity in a Dallas Hospital With Predominantly Hispanic Premature Infants

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To compare the treatment outcome for threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Hispanic patients to that of non–Hispanic patients. Methods: A total of 25 infants diagnosed with threshold ROP were treated between Jan. 1998 and Oct. 2003. Follow–up data are available for review for 19 patients. Mean follow–up was 2.1 years (range from 2 months – 7 years). Ten of the 19 patients were Hispanic. Results: Ten of the 17 treated eyes (59%) in non–Hispanic group and 15 of the 20 (75%) in Hispanic group had an acuity documented to be central stable maintenance (P=0.64). Favorable retinal structural outcome was achieved in 13 of the 17 eyes (76%) in non–Hispanic and all of the 20 eyes (100%) in Hispanic patients (P=0.58). Ten of the 17 treated eyes in non–Hispanic patients and 10 of the 20 treated eyes in Hispanic patients had myopia (P=0.77). Six of the 9 non–Hispanic patients and 3 of the 10 Hispanic patients had strabismus (P=0.34). In non–Hispanic patients, two eyes progressed to stage 4 ROP after laser retinal ablation, and one progressed to stage 5 disease. Conclusions: The treatment outcome for threshold ROP in Hispanic patients is comparable to that of non–Hispanic patients. Favorable outcomes reported in the CRYO–ROP trial can be achieved in Hispanic premature infants.

Keywords: retinopathy of prematurity