Indirect Diode Laser in the Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity

Abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a largely preventable cause of visual impairment in children. The golden standard of treatment in ROP is the laser photocoagulation of the nonvascularized retina. The most vulnerable period when ROP is at high risk of rapid progression is comprised between 34 and 35 weeks postconceptional age (PCA) and 36–37 weeks PCA.We carried out a retrospective study in which we included all the ROP cases treated by indirect diode laser photocoagulation between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2017, totalizing 110 premature infants of which, 60 were males (54.54%) and 50, females (45.45%). Mean gestational age (GA) was 28.30 weeks and mean birth weight (BW) was 1121 grams in our series. Of the 110 preterm infants, 74 were the result of single pregnancies (67.27%) and 36 of multiple pregnancies (32.72%). At the moment of treatment, the mean postnatal age (PNA) was 8.38 weeks and the mean PCA, 37.02 weeks. ROP regressed after laser treatment in 185 eyes (88.09%). Statistical tests proved that regression rate was significantly worse in aggressive posterior ROP as compared with stage 3 zone 2 and stage 3 zone 1 ROP (odds ratio = 13.53, relative risk = 7.79, P < .001).