Abstract
Purpose :
To prospectively evaluate the peripheral chroroidal development and thickness in infants at high risk for retinopathy prematurity (ROP).
Methods :
We included in this study infants born at or less than 25 weeks of gestation, weighing less than 700 grams, and who developed interventricular hemorrhage. All infants underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT), using Bioptigen Envisu hand held OCT serially over 4 weeks, starting at the first ROP screening exam and at each follow up screening exam. We evaluated the choroidal thickness centrally (at least 2000 microns from the optic nerve superiorly or inferiorly) and at extreme nasal and temporal periphery, for each eye. Changes in choroidal thickness and the choroid thickness to retina thickness ratio (C/R) were evaluated for each infant and between the individual infants over time. Changes of the choroidal thickness were correlated with the ROP exam findings.
Results :
Six infants underwent study and had images sufficient to evaluate. The infants were divided into the following groups based on the worst severity of ROP at any of the serial examinations: (1) Type I ROP requiring treatment (2 infants) (2) Severe ROP of stage 2 or worse but not requiring treatment (2 infants) and (3) mild ROP of </= stage 1 in either eye (2 infants). The mean choroidal thickness and choroid to retina thickness ratio (C/R) are presented in Table 1.
Conclusions :
The peripheral choroid appears to be significantly thinner in infants with severe ROP. Choroidal development and thickness may play an important role in the development and severity of ROP.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.