PURPOSE

This study investigated whether prematurity and associated factors or prenatal growth restriction have long-term effects on the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) in adulthood.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

The Gutenberg Prematurity Eye Study (GPES) is a retrospective cohort study with a prospective ophthalmologic examination in Germany. Selected individuals born term and preterm (age 18-52 years) were examined with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in adulthood, and perinatal medical charts were reviewed. The pRNFL thickness was measured using SD-OCT. Univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate associations between pRNFL and gestational age (GA; categorical), birth weight percentile (categorical), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) occurrence, and treatment and other perinatal parameters with adjustment for age, sex, and spherical equivalent.

RESULTS

In total, 766 eyes of 406 preterm and full-term individuals were included (mean age 28.4 ± 8.6 years, 228 females). After adjustment for age, sex, and spherical equivalent, global pRNFL thinning was associated with moderate (GA = 33-36 wk, β = –4.68, P < .001), very (GA = 29-32 wk, β = –5.72, P < .001), and extreme (GA ≤ 28 wk, β = –8.69, P < .001) prematurity but not with low birth weight percentile (<25th percentile, P = .9) and ROP occurrence (P = .9) in multivariable analysis. ROP treatment was associated with increased pRNFL in the temporal sector (P = .002). Maternal smoking during pregnancy showed an association with pRNFL thinning (P = .07).

CONCLUSION

Our data indicate that the more preterm individuals are born the more pRNFL thinning occurs, whereas prenatal growth restriction and postnatal occurrence of ROP show less effects on pRNFL thickness. Furthermore, individuals with severe ROP with treatment but not lower ROP stages without treatment showed an increased temporal pRNFL thickness.

中文翻译：

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伴有和不伴有早产儿视网膜病变的极度、极度和中度早产成人的视乳头周围视网膜神经纤维层厚度：来自古腾堡早产眼研究 (GPES) 的结果

目的

本研究调查了早产和相关因素或产前生长受限是否对成年期视乳头周围视网膜神经纤维层 (pRNFL) 有长期影响。

设计

回顾性队列研究。

方法

古腾堡早产儿眼科研究 (GPES) 是一项在德国进行的前瞻性眼科检查的回顾性队列研究。选定的足月和早产儿（18-52 岁）在成年期接受了光谱域光学相干断层扫描 (SD-OCT) 检查，并审查了围产期病历。使用 SD-OCT 测量 pRNFL 厚度。进行单变量和多变量线性回归分析以研究 pRNFL 与胎龄（GA；分类）、出生体重百分位数（分类）、早产儿视网膜病变（ROP）发生率以及治疗和其他围产期参数之间的关联，并调整年龄、性别、和等效球面。

结果

总共包括 406 名早产和足月个体的 766 只眼（平均年龄 28.4 ± 8.6 岁，228 名女性）。调整年龄、性别和等效球镜后，整体 pRNFL 变薄与中度（GA = 33-36 周，β = –4.68，P < .001）、非常（GA = 29-32 周，β = –5.72）相关, P < .001) 和极端 (GA ≤ 28 wk, β = –8.69, P < .001) 早产但不伴有低出生体重百分位数 (<25th 百分位数, P  = .9) 和 ROP 发生率 ( P  = . 9) 在多变量分析中。ROP 治疗与颞区 pRNFL 增加相关 ( P  = .002)。母亲在怀孕期间吸烟表明与 pRNFL 变薄有关 ( P  = .07)。

结论

我们的数据表明，出生的早产个体越多，pRNFL 变薄的发生就越多，而 ROP 的产前生长受限和产后发生对 pRNFL 厚度的影响较小。此外，患有严重 ROP 且未接受治疗但未达到较低 ROP 阶段的个体显示出颞叶 pRNFL 厚度增加。