Educational paper: Retinopathy of prematurity.

Abstract

UNLABELLED:

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative retinal vascular disease affecting the premature infant with an incompletely vascularized retina. The spectrum of ophthalmological findings in ROP exists from minimal sequelae, which do not affect vision, to bilateral retinal detachment and total blindness. With the increased survival of very small infants, retinopathy of prematurity has become one of the leading causes of childhood blindness. Over the past two decades, major advances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of ROP, to a large extent as a result of changes in clinical risk factors (oxygen and non-oxygen related) and characteristics observed in ROP cases. This article provides a literature review on the evolution in clinical characteristics, classification and treatment modalities and indications of ROP. Special attention is hereby paid to the neonatal factors influencing the development of ROP and to the necessity for everyone caring for premature babies to have a well-defined screening and treatment protocol for ROP. Such screening protocol needs to be based on a unit-specific ROP risk profile and, consequently, may vary between different European regions.

CONCLUSION:

Retinopathy of prematurity is an important cause of ocular morbidity and blindness in children. With better understanding of the pathogenesis, screening and treatment guidelines have changed over time and are unit specific.

• Authors: Ingele Casteels, Catherine Cassiman, Joachim Van Calster, Karel Allegaert
• Journal: European journal of pediatrics (Eur J Pediatr) Vol. 171 Issue 6 Pg. 887-93 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1432-1076 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 22052209 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Bevacizumab

Topics

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized (therapeutic use)
• Bevacizumab
• Cryotherapy
• Humans
• Infant, Newborn
• Infant, Premature
• Lasers, Semiconductor (therapeutic use)
• Neonatal Screening
• Retinopathy of Prematurity (classification, diagnosis, etiology, therapy)
• Risk Factors