Abordaje y nuevas propuestas terapéuticas en la retinopatía del prematuro.: Retinopatía del prematuro.

Abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the leading cause of blindness in pediatric patients. It is a multifactorial pathology of the development of retinal blood vessels in premature infants. Risk factors can be classified into 3 groups: maternal factors, infant factors, and perinatal and prenatal factors. Of low birth weight or very low birth weight infants, up to 60% will develop some degree of retinopathy of prematurity, of which up to 8% will be severe and up to 6% will require treatment. Its diagnosis is based on screening at birth. Screening is currently recommended not only for ROP, but also for its risk factors. ROP  should have multidisciplinary follow-up that includes systematic screening, individualized treatment, and long-term follow-up. Its pathophysiology occurs in two stages. The first, the ischemic phase, is characterized by the interruption of the progression of the capillary bed. In the second phase, called the proliferative phase, vasculogenic factors are secreted in response to neuronal hypoxia. Complications may occur that compromise the patient's visual prognosis, such as retinal detachment and retinal hemorrhages. Its clinical presentation comprises 5 stages, from the spontaneous regression of the alterations found at the retinal level to the complete detachment that is clinically shown as blindness. Complications may occur that compromise the patient's visual prognosis, such as retinal detachment and retinal hemorrhages.