EXPERIENCE OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY-ANGIOGRAPHY IN CHILDREN WITH ACTIVE STAGES OF RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY

Objective: to assess diagnostic value of optical coherence tomography angiography in children with active retinopathy of prematurity. Materials and methods. 5 patients (8 eyes) with different stages of active ROP (birth weight 680-1630 g, 25-32 weeks of gestational age) were included into this study. Stage 3 of classic course of retinopathy of prematurity in zone I was revealed in 1 patient, in zone II - in 1 patient, 4A stage in the zone II - in 1 patient. Aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity was diagnosed in 2 children, in 1 - at the stage of early clinical manifestations, in 1 - at the stage of manifestation. In addition to the standard examination, patients were undergoing spectral optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography. Results of the study. In children with 3 and 4A stages of active retinopathy of prematurity in the zone II, optical coherence tomography angiography revealed no pathological changes in the capillary bed within the central zone of the retina. In patients with 3 stage of active retinopathy of prematurity in the zone I, epiretinal neovascularization was found within the foveal region. At the stage of early clinical manifestations of aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity, intraretinal neovascular complexes and multiple arterio-venous anastomoses were found in the superficial capillary plexus in all segments within the perifovea. At the stage of manifestation of aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity we found significant alteration of superficial and deep capillary plexuses, dilated and tortuous vessels of the upper temporal vascular arcade associated with multiple intra- and epiretinal neovascular complexes. Conclusion. Optical coherence tomography angiography is a valuable method in diagnosis of active stages of retinopathy of prematurity in infants. The pathological changes identified in this study require further investigation (bibliography: 8 refs)

aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity, optical coherence tomography angiography, retinopathy of prematurity