title: [Diode laser photocoagulation of retinopathy of prematurity].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe diode laser photocoagulation results in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in our hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cross-sectional study based on clinical histories of the premature infants treated during the period from 2004 to 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the treated group we found a predominance of pre-threshold retinopathy versus threshold retinopathy (84.35% vs 15.65%). The anatomic results were good in 96.5% of 147 eyes. None of the treated eyes in pre-threshold stage showed a poor result. Nine months after treatment, 84.85% of 132 eyes showed good functional results. A poor visual response was associated in most of the cases with neurological diseases. Infants with intraventricular haemorrhages had the worst anatomical and functional results. Strabismus (23.5%) and nystagmus (10.3%) rates were high, probably due to the increased prevalence of neurological diseases. The mortality rate in treated children was 7.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diode laser photocoagulation in ROP offers very good anatomical results when performed at the appropriate time. Nevertheless, prematurity is still a very important cause of visual dysfunction in infancy due to the associated neurological disturbances.
authors: Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España. antoniogalvanledesma@hotmail.com
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Galván Ledesma
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Morales Guillén
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Pastor Ramos
authors: M del Carmen
authors: Mdel C
authors: Vázquez Marouschek
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008028:Light Coagulation; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013285:Strabismus / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome