title: The German ROP Registry: data from 90 infants treated for retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The German retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) Registry collects data on treated ROP in a multicentre approach to analyse epidemiology and treatment patterns of severe ROP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine centres entered data from 90 treated ROP infants (born between January 2011 and December 2013) into a central database. Analysis included incidence rate of severe ROP, demographic data, stage of ROP, treatment patterns, recurrence rates, relevant comorbidities and ophthalmological or systemic complications associated with treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment rate for ROP was 3.2% of the screened population. The most frequent ROP stage at time of treatment was zone II, stage 3 +  (137 eyes). Treatment was bilateral in 97% of infants. Treatment patterns changed over time from 7% anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monotherapy in 2011 to 32% in 2014. Overall, laser treatment was the predominant treatment. However, all infants with zone I disease received anti-VEGF treatment. About 19% of infants required retreatment (16% of laser-treated and 21% of anti-VEGF treated infants). Mean time between first and second treatment was 3.8 weeks (± 11 days) for laser-treated and 10.4 weeks (± 60 days) for anti-VEGF-treated infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first multicentre analysis of severe ROP in Germany. The identified treatment patterns find laser as the most prevalent form of therapy, with an increasing use of anti-VEGF therapy over recent years. Recurrence rates were relatively high overall with slightly higher recurrence rates and later recurrence times in the anti-VEGF group. Anti-VEGF was predominantly used for high-risk stages like AP-ROP and zone I disease.
authors.affiliation: Eye Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.|Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Walz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bemme
authors.affiliation: University Eye Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Amelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pielen
authors.affiliation: University Eye Hospital, Eberhard-Karl University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|University Eye Hospital, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aisenbrey
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, HELIOS Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Breuß
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Alex
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wagenfeld
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schiedel
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim U
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2280-925X
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Krohne
authors.affiliation: Eye Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stahl
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001724:Birth Weight; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: anti-VEGF; laser; retinopathy of prematurity; treatment pattern