title: A comparison of macular structure imaged by optical coherence tomography in preterm and full-term children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Macular anatomic abnormalities were examined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging in premature children and compared with those of full-term children.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective case-control study, premature patients 7 to 14 years of age were divided into three groups (group I, laser-treated retinopathy of prematurity [ROP]; group II, spontaneously regressed ROP; group III, no ROP), and age-matched children (group IV). All the eligible 74 eyes had normal-appearing posterior pole, myopia < or =3 D, and best corrected visual acuity 1.0. When both eyes of a subject were eligible for the study, one eye was randomly selected (10 eyes of 10 children in each group). Retinal thicknesses of the macula measured by OCT3 were compared. The correlation between central foveal thickness and prematurity (gestational age at birth < or = 30 weeks; birth weight < or = 1250 g) or ROP was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean foveal and central retinal thicknesses decreased significantly in group I (laser-treated ROP) and group IV (term birth). Significant differences in central retinal thickness were found between the premature groups and full-term children (Mann-Whitney U test). The cutoff point of central retinal thickness, determined by receiver operating characteristic curve was 209 microm. The general estimating equation model statistics found a significant effect of ROP severity (P = 0.003), P value for the category of prematurity was 0.063.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The central retinal thickness was significantly higher in the preterm groups than in the full-term group. This subtle macular modification may be related mainly to ROP. Prematurity had only a marginally significant role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ecsedy
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szamosi
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karkó
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zubovics
authors.forename: Balazs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Varsányi
authors.forename: Janos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Németh
authors.forename: Zsuzsa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Récsán
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D047929:Term Birth; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence