Glaucoma in the Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ETROP) study

PurposeTo report the clinical characteristics of infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and glaucoma-based on review of the Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ETROP) study.MethodsAll infants randomized in the ETROP trial were included. Each infant developed high-risk prethreshold ROP in at least one eye. Infants were examined until 6 years postnatal age. The following data were collected: corneal clarity, depth of the anterior chamber, status of the optic nerve and cup/disk ratio, retinal structure, and visual acuity. The diagnosis of glaucoma was based on the investigators best clinical judgment. All infants diagnosed with glaucoma were included in the study.ResultsA total of 12 of 718 eyes (1.67%) were diagnosed with glaucoma. Of these, 5 were first reported as having glaucoma at 9 months, 2 at 2 years, 1 each at 3 and 4 years, and 3 at 5 years. The anterior segment was shallow in 7 eyes. Three eyes had normal retinal structure, 1 had macular dragging, and 8 had retinal detachments involving the fovea (stage 4B or worse). At the 6-year follow-up examination only one eye with glaucoma had measurable vision.ConclusionsAlthough earlier treatment of significant ROP has resulted in better retinal structure and visual acuity outcomes, nearly 2% of the eyes with high-risk prethreshold ROP developed glaucoma at some point during the first 6 years of life.