PARTIAL RETINAL-DETACHMENT AT 3 MONTHS AFTER THRESHOLD RETINOPATHY OFPREMATURITY - LONG-TERM STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME

Objective: To investigate the structural and functional outcome at age 41/2 years of eyes that had partial retinal detachment (RD) at 3 mont hs after the occurrence of threshold retinopathy of prematurity; these eyes were involved in the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retino pathy of Prematurity study. Methods: Of the 531 eyes in the randomized portion of the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Pr ematurity study, 61 had partial RD at the 3-month examination. The ext ent of retinal involvement was recorded, and the presence of a foveal detachment was noted; At the examination conducted at age 41/2 years, the fundus structure was graded into cicatricial retinopathy of premat urity outcome categories by study ophthalmologists, and the visual acu ity was measured by masked examiners using the Teller Acuity Card proc edure and the crowded HOTV recognition acuity test. Results: Of the 61 eyes, 7 eyes continued to have partial RD at age 41/2 years. Of the r emaining eyes, 20 eyes had structural outcomes classified as favorable in the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurit y study, and 27 eyes had unfavorable structural outcomes. Data were un recordable for 3 eyes and missing for 4 eyes. No difference in outcome was found for eyes with partial RD at 3 months that had undergone cry otherapy vs eyes that had served as controls. Only 6 eyes had a visual acuity better than 20/200. When partial RDs did not involve the fovea at 3 months, structural and functional outcomes at 41/2 years were be tter than when RDs involved the fovea. The best predictor of outcome w as the extent of RD at 3 months. Conclusions: Partial RD present 3 mon ths after threshold retinopathy of prematurity is unstable anatomicall y, and the visual outcome is generally poor. Structure and function at 41/2 years are related to the extent of RD and the involvement of the fovea at 3 months.