THRESHOLD RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY - TRANSITION FROM CRYOPEXY TO LASER TREATMENT

Purpose: The authors studied the effectiveness of laserpexy versus cry opexy for treatment of acute retinopathy of prematurity. Methods: Seve nty-six eyes in 41 patients were treated for acute retinopathy of prem aturity from January 1998 to April 1994. Results: Fifty-six eyes in 30 patients had zone 2 disease. Of these 30 patients, 11 received laser treatment and 20 received cryopexy treatment; there was at least one a natomically successful eye in each patient. Twenty eyes in ten patient s had zone 1 disease. Seven patients had bilateral laser treatment. Th ree patients had bilateral cryopexy. In seven eyes with zone 1 disease , five were treated successfully with laser. None of the three eyes wi th zone 1 disease treated with cryopexy were successful. Conclusion: L aserpexy and cryopexy are of equal efficacy in treating zone 2 disease . There is a tendency that suggests that laserpexy is more effective t han cryopexy in treating zone 1 disease. Diode and argon lasers are of equal efficacy in treating zone 1 disease.