Abstract:

Objective To study the retinal function of preterm infants with the history of spontaneously regressed retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) after the final screening by flash electroretinogram (F-ERG).Methods A case-control study was conducted among the preterm infants with the history of spontaneously regressed ROP and they were defined as case group, and those without ROP as control group. The case group was further divided into three subgroups (A, B, C) based on the screening interval periods. According to the guidelines for ROP screening in China, the retinal function was assessed in both groups by F-ERG at the final screening point.Results 119 preterm infants in case group and 160 in control group met the inclusion criteria in neonatology department of Children's Hospital of Fudan University from January 2015 to January 2016. According to the exclusion criteria, 39(78 eyes) of the case group and 37 (74 eyes) of the control group were analyzed in this study. Compared with the control group, the average response amplitude of b-wave of the rod, a-wave and b-wave of the largest mixed reaction, oscillatory potentials (OPs), b-wave of the cone of case group were statistically reduced, and the average latency of responses was significantly prolonged in all of the case groups. There was no statistical difference of the average amplitude and the average latency of all responses between group A and group B; Compared to group A, the average amplitude of b-wave of the rod, OPs and b-wave of the cone of group C was significantly reduced , and the average latency of all the other responses of group C was significantly prolonged except a-wave of the largest mixed reaction and a-wave of the cone. There was no statistical difference of the average amplitude and the average latency of all responses between group B and group C.Conclusion Compared to no-ROP preterm infants, the retinal development of preterm with the history of spontaneously regressed ROP was delayed at the final screening point. There was a close correlation between the stage and position of ROP and the retinal development.