Purpose: To assess the features of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during 8 years, analyzing the usefulness of the criteria in the screening protocol and the risk factors relating to the disease.
Methods: A retrospective study of the infants included in the screening program for ROP. The sensitivity of the criteria of birth weight (BW) < 1,500 g, post-conceptional age (PCA) < 32 weeks and subjective pediatric criteria (SPC) in the screening program were evaluated and compared with the incidence of ROP, and the need for treatment in these patient groups. Statistical analysis for ROP and no-ROP was then applied to the risk factors BW, PCA, oxygen therapy, and intercurrent diseases.
Results: Forty of 303 infants studied had ROP (13.2%). In ROP cases, 31 (77.5%) had spontaneous regression and 9 (22.5%) needed treatment. The screening program included 144 children with BW < 1,500 g and 159 children with BW > 1,500 g. The incidence of ROP was 26.4% in the first group and 1.3% in the second group (p < 0.001). Two cases were detected with a BW > 1,500 g but with a PCA < 32 weeks, and neither required treatment. There were 84 cases included because of SPC (27.7%); no cases of ROP were detected in these. The only independent risk factor found in a multivariant analysis was birth weight.
Conclusions: None of the children included with a BW > 1500 g required treatment for ROP, but several cases of ROP could be missed by using this criteria only. SPC must be restricted in the screening program.