Macular findings in healthy full-term Hispanic newborns observed by hand-held spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To enhance understanding of ethnically diverse normal newborn retinal morphology, the authors report spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) macular findings in healthy Hispanic newborns.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this IRB-approved prospective, observational case series, 20 full-term Hispanic newborns had dilated retinal examinations and imaging by hand-held SD-OCT without sedation at the Duke Birthing Center.

RESULTS

Of 20 newborns imaged (35% male; median gestational age: 39 weeks; range: 36 to 40 weeks), two (10%) had bilateral subfoveal fluid, including one case of bilateral double subretinal fluid pockets. Three eyes of two infants (10%) had retinal macular cystoid structures (one enlarged at 1.5 months, with resolution by 3 months). These SD-OCT findings were not visible by indirect ophthalmoscopy.

CONCLUSION

Some Hispanic newborns have subretinal fluid or macular cystoid structures on SD-OCT. This study expands our understanding of findings seen by SD-OCT in healthy full-term newborns of various races.