The rate of change in retinal vessel width and tortuosity in eyes at risk for retinopathy of prematurity.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the rate of change in retinal vessel width and tortuosity in eyes that develop treatment-requiring, or type 1, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) versus eyes that do not develop type 1 ROP.


METHODS
Posterior poles of eyes of 41 infants at risk for ROP were imaged longitudinally with a 30° fundus camera. Retinal vessel width and tortuosity were measured with computer-assisted image analysis. The rate of change per day in width and tortuosity up to the development of most severe ROP was calculated from linear regression and eyes with (n = 10) and without type 1 ROP (n = 31) were compared.


RESULTS
Eyes that developed type 1 ROP had a greater rate of change in width for venules and 3 widest vessels (P < 0.0001), and a greater rate of change in tortuosity for arterioles and 3 most tortuous vessels (P < 0.0001) than eyes that did not develop type 1 ROP. These vessel parameters discriminate the 2 groups well (area under the ROC curve, 0.79-0.90). A combination of venular width and arteriolar tortuosity had the best discriminative ability (area under the ROC curve, 0.96).


CONCLUSIONS
In this pilot study, eyes that eventually developed type 1 ROP demonstrated a faster increase in width and tortuosity of retinal vessels compared with those that did not. Further study of the kinetics of retinal vascular change in a larger sample may allow for the earlier identification of vision-threatening ROP.
Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania School Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Devon H
DH
Ghodasra
Atiporn
A
Thuangtong
Karen A
KA
Karp
Gui-Shuang
GS
Ying
Monte D
MD
Mills
Clare A
CA
Wilson
Alistair R
AR
Fielder
Jeffery
J
Ng
Graham E
GE
Quinn
D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012372:ROC Curve; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014102:Torsion Abnormality / Q000473:pathology*; D014699:Venules / Q000473:pathology