Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Changes in Preterm Children with or without Retinopathy of Prematurity History.

PURPOSE

To investigate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness changes in preterm children with or without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) history compared to full-term children.

METHODS

A retrospective comparative cohort study assessing pRNFL thickness was completed in children aged 4-8 years. Four groups of children were included ( = 30 each group): children with a history of ROP who were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab, children with ROP who received no treatment, and preterm children without ROP compared to age- and gender-matched full-term children.

RESULTS

A total of 120 eyes from 120 children were enrolled in this study. Both treated and regressed ROP children showed a significantly thinner pRNFL in the nasal quadrant compared to full-term children ( = 0.017 and = 0.008, respectively). The pRNFL in the superior quadrant of treated ROP children was thinner than the preterm and control groups ( = 0.015 and = 0.023, respectively), whereas the inferior quadrant of treated ROP children was thinner than the preterm group alone ( = 0.008). The pRNFL thickness in the temporal quadrant was comparable between groups ( = 0.129). The average spatial distribution profile of pRNFL thickness in treated ROP children was significantly thinner than in the preterm group ( = 0.041).

CONCLUSION

pRNFL thickness is significantly altered in children with a prior history of treated ROP with thinning of the nasal and superior quadrants compared to full-term children.