Evaluation of refractive outcomes and ophthalmic parameters after laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity

Abstract

Purpose : Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding vasoproliferative disease which occurs in premature babies. Laser photocoagulation is known as an effective treatment of ROP to prevent its progression. Recent reports suggested that children with ROP develop myopia in infancy after retinal ablation. No previous studies showed the correlation between myopia and axial length in ROP patients after laser treatment. In the current study, we investigated refractive parameters after laser treatment for prethreshold ROP. We also determined which of the refractive components is responsible for the myopia in the eyes with ROP.

Methods : This is a retrospective study. Thirty-eight eyes of 19 ROP patients who had undergone laser treatment in The University of Tokyo Hospital were enrolled in the present study. Fourteen eyes of 7 children were also investigated as control cases. We measured spherical equivalent (SE), corneal refraction (CR), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and axial length (AL). All study protocols adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board of The University of Tokyo Hospital.

Results : The mean age was 75±30 (ROP group) and 73±28 months (control group). Mean birth weight of ROP group was 767 g (767-255 g). The mean values (±SD) of SE, CR, ACD and AL in ROP group and control group were -3.17±5.03 D and 0.26±1.66 D, 47.01±1.82 D and 44.89±1.74 D, 3.11±0.36 mm and 3.49±0.22 mm, 22.12±1.50 mm and 22.20±0.93 mm, respectively. SE, CR and ACD showed significant differences between the two groups (P<0.01). AL in ROP demonstrated no significant difference compared with control group (P=0.91). Using linear mixed model, SE was found to be significantly correlated with ACD, AL and the number of laser spots (P<0.001). Moreover, ACD, AL and the number of laser spots were standardized. As a result, AL was found to be the most effective variable for refractive error.

Conclusions : In addition to components of the anterior segment such as SE, CR and ACD, AL is responsible for the refractive outcome after laser photocoagulation for ROP.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.