Abstract
Purpose :
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of childhood blindness characterized by atypical neuronal and vascular development in the retina of premature infants. Gestational age, birth weight, and fluctuating oxygen levels are three core risk factors often present in those who develop ROP.1–3 Due to the progression of medical advances, premature birth rates are rising. As a result, the incidence of ROP is increasing as well.4 While the physiologic risk factors for this condition are well described; social risk factors which may affect disease progression are not. This study strives to characterize disease progression of ROP in relation to loss to follow-up and social risk factors for ROP patients.
Methods :
The records from 138 premature infants who were diagnosed with ROP at the University of Florida were analyzed retrospectively. ROP status was assessed via comparison of the zone, stage, and presence of plus disease between the patient’s initial ROP exam and their most recent exam. Improvements in zone, stage, and plus disease were each compared between patients who did and who did not experience greater than a one-week delay in follow-up via a paired Student's T-Test. The distance between the patient's home and our Institution was also compared between patients whose ROP status improved versus those who failed to improve or worsened.
Results :
ROP zone improved by an average of 0.82 ± 0.66 points in the infants without scheduling delays versus 0.68 ± 0.47 in those with delays. Stage improved by an average of 0.049 ± 1.05 points in the on-time group and worsened by 0.34 ± 1.14 in delayed infants. Although stage and zone showed more improvement in on-time patients, the difference between groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However, plus disease was significantly improved in those without appointment delay with on-time patients improving by an average of 0.033 ± 0.32 and delayed patients worsening by 0.12 ± 0.32 (P = 0.039). Distance of residential area from our facility was not associated with ROP status (P > 0.05).
Conclusions :
Within our cohort, delayed ROP follow-up was associated with the persistence of plus disease. Although it does not appear that patient-institution distance prohibits follow, it is crucial that further investigation regarding other potential risk factors for delayed follow-up is pursued as these may be related to ROP morbidity.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.