[Indirect diode laser treatment and cryotherapy in retinopathy of prematurity].

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major cause of blindness in babies. To explore the incidence, treatment and short-term outcome of the disease in Romania, a small scale study on 24 preterm infants with gestational age < 32 weeks and birthweight < 1500 g was undertaken. Gestational age was < 28 weeks in 66.6% and birthweight was < 1000 g in 70.8% of the children. The average age at the first examination with the indirect ophthalmoscope was 31.8 weeks, only two children having been seen at less than 6 weeks of age. 66.6% of the babies had ROP in various stages with 93.8% of these having bilateral (symmetrical or asymmetrical) abnormalities. 37.5% of the babies with ROP were in stage 5. 12.5% (2 patients) had bilateral threshold disease: one infant was treated with diode laser delivered with the laser indirect ophthalmoscope and the other with cryotherapy. In three eyes of these two infants the disease regressed. No major short term complications were noted and no second session of treatment was necessary. In our patients, the well-recognised correlation between the incidence and severity of the disease and gestational age and, to a lesser extent, birthweight was confirmed. Lack of equipment was the main reason for the delay in diagnosis. The extent of the disease in our patients, in a country where the number of surviving preterm babies is expected to increase in the coming years, warrants the initiation of a national screening programme for retinopathy of prematurity in Romania.