Foveal thickness, foveal microvasculature, and refractive error in children with asymmetric involvement of retinopathy of prematurity.

Objective: To evaluate foveal thickness, foveal microvasculature, and refractive error in children with asymmetric involvement of retinopathy of prematurity who had laser treatment in one eye and spontaneously regressed retinopathy of prematurity in the fellow eye.

Methods: Totally, 17 children (34 eyes) with a history of asymmetric course of acute Zone II retinopathy of prematurity were assessed. Data on best-corrected visual acuity, refractive status, axial length, anterior chamber depth, and optical coherence tomography angiography findings were analyzed between treated and non-treated fellow eyes.

Results: Treated eyes were more myopic than non-treated eyes (mean, -0.09 ± 1.86 diopters vs mean, 0.07 ± 0.98 diopters,  = 0.026). Compared to non-treated eyes, treated eyes had shallower anterior chamber depth (mean, 3.27 ± 0.24 mm vs mean, 3.55 ± 0.19 mm,  = 0.02). No significant difference was observed regarding optical coherence tomography angiography parameters between two eyes of the children. The mean central foveal thickness was found to be higher in treated eyes than in non-treated eyes (297.46 ± 22.03 vs 275.55 ± 18.45,  = 0.009). Higher number of laser spots were associated with decreased parafoveal superficial capillary plexus vessel density ( = -0.56,  = 0.02) and increased central foveal thickness ( = 0.62,  = 0.008).

Conclusion: Our results revealed no difference in optical coherence tomography angiography parameters between laser-treated and non-treated eyes in children with asymmetric involvement of Zone II retinopathy of prematurity except for a higher central foveal thickness in laser-treated eyes. Treated eyes were more myopic than the non-treated eyes. Number of laser applications during treatment had an impact on parafoveal superficial capillary plexus vessel density.