Fundus fluorescein angiography in retinopathy of prematurity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding disease of immature retinal vasculature. ROP regresses in majority of the cases and very few go on to develop ROP needing treatment. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) is the gold standard technique to study retinal vasculature. The present study was undertaken with the objective to identify the FFA findings associated with the progression of ROP.

SUBJECT/METHODS: Prospective single centre study in a tertiary care hospital of 99 eyes of 50 preterm babies. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) was performed in all babies using RetCam 3 at the first detection of ROP. The babies were followed up for the progression of ROP. The FFA predictors for the progression of ROP were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's test.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight eyes were Type 1 ROP at initial presentation and were lasered. Amongst the rest, 24 eyes showed features of stage 3 ROP with intense leakage on FFA and were designated as FFA-treatable ROP and were also lasered. Amongst the rest of the 37 eyes, the disease progression was seen in 13 eyes and the disease regression was seen in 24 eyes. The baseline FFA findings associated with the progression of ROP were delayed retinal arterial perfusion (p = 0.037) and popcorn lesions (p = 0.042). The post hoc analysis was done using a validated FFA scoring system.

CONCLUSIONS

FFA may be added in the classification of ROP and delayed retinal arterial perfusion and popcorn lesions on FFA may predict the progression of ROP.