Retinal DiseasesRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has been divided into five stages. Stages 1 and 2 customarily get better on their own. Some eyes, however, go on to Stage 3 retinopathy of prematurity.
This happens when new blood vessels start to grow from the retina toward the center of the eye, forming a ridge between retina that has blood vessels in the back of the eye, and the retina that does not have blood vessels in the front of the eye.
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This difference in the blood vessels of the retina is because the premature baby has not had the time while in the womb to allow the blood vessels within the retina to grow all the way from the optic nerve in the back of the eye to the front of the eye. Stage 3 ROP exists when these disturbing new blood vessels grow out from the ridge in the retina toward the center of the eye. If this blood vessel growth becomes severe and is accompanied by “plus” disease, the child may reach the point where treatment of the peripheral retina with laser (or rarely freezing) treatment is performed. “Plus” disease is defined as enlarged and twisting blood vessels in the back part of the eye. |
