PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - L Andruscavage
AU  - D J Weissgold
TI  - Screening for retinopathy of prematurity
AID  - 10.1136/bjo.86.10.1127
DP  - 2002 Oct 01
TA  - British Journal of Ophthalmology
PG  - 1127--1130
VI  - 86
IP  - 10
4099  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/86/10/1127.short
4100  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/86/10/1127.full
SO  - Br J Ophthalmol2002 Oct 01; 86
AB  - Aim: A cross sectional (prevalence) study was performed to assess the usefulness and sensitivity of commonly employed criteria to identify infants for routine ophthalmoscopic screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Methods: At a tertiary care centre between 1 January 1992 and 30 June 1998, experienced vitreoretinal specialists screened 438 premature infants for ROP. Retinal maturity and the presence of ROP were determined by indirect ophthalmoscopic examinations. Results: Of the eligible infants surviving 28 days, 276 (91.7%) of 301 infants with birth weights ≤1500 g and 162 (52.3%) of 310 infants with birth weights between 1501 and 2500 g were screened for ROP. 10 (3.9%) of the 310 infants with larger birth weights developed stage 1 or 2 ROP. Two (0.6%) of the 310 infants with larger birth weights developed stage 3 ROP. These two infants progressed to threshold ROP and required treatment. Conclusions: Relatively restrictive criteria to identify premature infants eligible for routine ophthalmoscopic screening for ROP may be the cause for some infants going unexamined and their ROP undetected.