title: Correlation between periventricular leukomalacia and retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which are complications of perinatal and postnatal hypoxic-ischemic insults in premature infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective case series study, from 1996 to 2008, after excluding cases with follow-up of less than 3 months, we reviewed medical charts of babies who had gestational age (GA) less than 30 weeks or birthweight (BW) less than 2000 g. A total of 195 patients were diagnosed with ROP and/or PVL and were enrolled in this analysis. We investigated the correlation between ROP and PVL with Pearson chi-square test and evaluated BW, GA, and Apgar scores at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth as risk factors by independent t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the prevalence of PVL between patients who received ROP treatment and those who did not receive ROP treatment. The BW was significantly lower in patients with PVL than in patients without PVL. Gestational age, BW, and Apgar scores significantly differed between patients who did and did not receive retinal treatment for ROP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Periventricular leukomalacia did not increase the severity of ROP or requirement of ROP treatment. Birthweight, GA, and Apgar scores were the principal factors that determined the necessity of ROP treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung - Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Sue-Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ying-Chao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hsi-Kung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors