Ocular Cosmesis in Retinopathy of Prematurity

We report the externally apparent outcome in the natural history cohort (n=4099) that was followed up prospectively in the Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity. The overall incidence of an adverse cosmetic outcome in the survivors who were examined 12 months post term (n=2759) was 15.1%. Adverse cosmetic outcomes included strabismus (12.8%), nystagmus (3.3%), total retrolental membrane (1%), epiphora (0.6%), corneal opacity (0.6%), cataract (0.3%), and episcleral hyperemia (0.3%). A comparable subgroup examined 24 months post term showed strabismus (14.4%), nystagmus (2.2%), epiphora (0.5%), corneal opacity (0.7%), cataract (0.5%), episcleral hyperemia (0.5%), lid fissure asymmetry (2.4%), and corneal diameter asymmetry (2.0%). The rate of adverse aesthetic outcome was greatest in eyes that had developed more severe acute retinopathy of prematurity and an unfavorable structural outcome. In patients with bilateral threshold retinopathy of prematurity who underwent no therapeutic ocular procedures, other than randomized assignment to undergo cryotherapy in one eye, more frequent adverse cosmetic outcomes were found in the untreated eyes.