Sequelae of arrested mild retinopathy of prematurity

Abstract

Twenty-six infants with totally resolved low-grade retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were compared with a similar group of 38 premature infants in whom no retinopathy had ever developed in the nursery. At the examination performed at a physiologic age of 1 year, the two groups were almost indistinguishable with respect to their refractive errors, strabismus, and amblyopia. The incidence and severity of mild to moderate anisometropia was increased in the resolved ROP group. It appears that there is a group of infants in whom absolute resolution occurs, with few residua of active ROP. This is especially true when there are no anatomical retinal findings consistent with low-grade cicatricial retrolental fibroplasia at 1 year of age.