Cryotherapy of retinal prematurity in Denmark 1992-1996

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disorder often met in infants of very preterm delivery. Lower stages usually regress spontaneously, but progression to so-called threshold-ROP should lead to anterior retinal ablation therapy, by cryopencil or laser. Fifty-three Danish infants born 1992-96 were evaluated in the University eye clinic of Rigshospitalet for the disease; 65 eyes of 36 infants had cryotherapy; eight infants developed severe bilateral visual handicap (22%). The reason for not giving cryotherapy to the remaining 17 was: too late referral in five, and ROP below threshold in 12; seven of the 17 later appeared in the (mandatory) national register for childhood visual handicap. Perusing these data the other way round, 15 of the registered 18 cases were thus known to us, while three had escaped referral. With reservation for the small numbers included, the national trend at present is an increasing annual number of subjects receiving retinal ablation therapy for ROP, and a decrease in severe visual impairment due to the disorder. Obviously all preterm infants at risk should be under early regular ophthalmic surveillance for ROP.