Retinal detachment following retinopathy of prematurity in France: Screening and treatment pathways.

Aim: Preterm children are highly vulnerable to sensorial impairments through Retinopathy Of Prematurity (ROP). The objective was to determine whether some cases of ROP requiring surgery could be secondary to deficiencies in care pathways.

Methods: Descriptive study of neonatal characteristics and the screening/treatment pathways of children treated for stage ≥4A ROP from 2009 to 2020 in a referral unit in France.

Results: Twenty-five preterm children (44 eyes) were included: median gestational age was 25 weeks, and median birthweight was 700 grams. Eighty-four per cent had received at least one fundus examination, 50% of which were completed on time. At the time of retinal detachment diagnosis, only 36% of the children had received laser or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) intra-vitreal injection. ROP stage was only reported in 8%, and the zone or type was reported in 16% of the files.

Conclusion: The risk of blindness and the effectiveness of laser or anti-VEGF treatment highlight the need to enhance screening and treatment practices in France.