Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), previously known as retrolental fibroplasia (RLF), is a disease of the eye that affects prematurely born babies. It is thought to be caused by disorganised growth of retinal blood vessels resulting in scarring and retinal detachment. ROP can be mild and may resolve spontaneously, but may lead to blindness in serious cases. Oxygen toxicity may contribute to the development of ROP.

Diagnosis

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The examination of the retina of a premature infant using indirect ophthalmoscopy shows that the retinal blood vessels have not extended to the ora serrata and instead show a stage of disease as defined by the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ICROP). In older patients the appearance of the disease is less well described but includes the residua of the ICROP stages as well as secondary retinal responses.

The most difficult aspect of the differential diagnosis may arise from the similarity of two other diseases:

More on [ Retinopathy of prematurity ]

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