Table of Contents
What causes Retrolental Fibroplasia?
The incidence of the disease is rising at an alarming rate. Vitamin E deficiency, corticotropin (ACTH) deficiency, the use of cow’s milk in place of mother’s milk, and improper oxygenation have been suggested as etiologic factors but the cause remains a mystery.
What does Retrolental Fibroplasia mean?
Retrolental fibroplasia, an abnormal proliferation of the immature retinal vasculature of a prematurely born infant, can occur after exposure to hyperoxia.

What is neonatal Fibroplasia?
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), also called retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) and Terry syndrome, is a disease of the eye affecting prematurely born babies generally having received neonatal intensive care, in which oxygen therapy is used due to the premature development of their lungs.
What is the treatment for Retrolental Fibroplasia?
No treatment is of proven value for the proliferative stages of RLF, although photocoagulation and cryotherapy directed at destruction of neovascularization are under study. Surgical treatment may be of value in controlling associated problems, particularly retinal detachments.

What is Retrolental hyperplasia?
an unusual eye disease occurring in premature infants, usually from being given high concentrations of oxygen, which causes abnormal formation of fibrous tissue behind the lens and often results in blindness.
What is Fibroplasia?
Medical Definition of fibroplasia : the process of forming fibrous tissue (as in wound healing)
Who discovered retrolental fibroplasia?
Previously, in occasional cases the disease had been reported, under various names, as a rare congenital malformation which was usually observed shortly after birth in full term infants, as a rule only one eye being involved. It was Terry3 who, in 1942, first associated retrolental fibroplasia with prematurity.
How is ROP treated?
Laser therapy. The standard treatment for advanced ROP , laser therapy burns away the area around the edge of the retina, which has no normal blood vessels. This procedure typically saves sight in the main part of the visual field, but at the cost of side (peripheral) vision.
How is ROP diagnosed?
The only way to determine if babies have ROP is to examine the inside of their eyes for abnormalities in the retina. Ophthalmologists trained in the diagnosis and treatment of ROP will examine your baby’s eyes. During this exam, your baby’s pupils will be dilated with eye drops so the retina can be studied.
How can we reduce ROP?
The most effective way to reduce the incidence of ROP is to prevent preterm delivery. A 100 g increase in BW decreases the odds of severe ROP with 27%, and each week increase in GA decreases the incidence of severe ROP with 19%.
What does Retrolental mean?
or occurring behind the lens of the
Medical Definition of retrolental : situated or occurring behind the lens of the eye.
What is the Fibroplasia phase?
1. the process of returning to health; the restoration of structure and function of injured or diseased tissues. The healing processes include blood clotting, tissue mending, scarring, and bone healing. See also wound healing.
Why does oxygen cause blindness in infants?
Scar tissue may develop and pull the retina loose from the inner surface of the eye (retinal detachment). In severe cases, this can result in vision loss. In the past, the use of too much oxygen in treating premature babies caused vessels to grow abnormally.
How is ROP test done?
This test is done inside the neonatal unit or hospital, during a visit by the retina specialist or paediatric ophthalmologist. The pupils of the eye are dilated using drops and the retina is examined with an indirect ophthalmoscope for signs of ROP. Should all premature babies be examined for ROP?
Can ROP resolve itself?
In most cases, ROP resolves without treatment, causing no damage. Advanced ROP , however, can cause permanent vision problems or blindness.
What are the most common causes of ROP?
What causes ROP? Normally, the blood vessels of the retina start to develop in the fourth month of pregnancy and finish developing around the due date, or 9 months of pregnancy. If a baby is born very early, these blood vessels may stop developing normally. The retina then develops new blood vessels that are abnormal.
Can retrolental fibroplasia cause blindness?
Fortunately, ROP causes blindness in only a small percentage. ROP was previously called “retrolental fibroplasia.” The original work in the 1950s of Kinsey et al.1 and Patz and Kinsey 2 showed that oxygen contributes to the tissue change described as ROP.
What is the history of retrolental fibroplasia (ROP)?
ROP was originally named retrolental fibroplasia and was noted as a white mass (total retinal detachment) behind the lens.
What is retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)?
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) refers to the arrest of normal retinal vascular development in exchange for neovascularization and fibrous tissue formation in the retina and vitreous humor (see Fig. 32-1A-C). From: A Practice of Anesthesia for Infants and Children (Fourth Edition), 2009