Please note: We are currently experiencing some performance issues across the site, and some pages may be slow to load. We are working on restoring normal service soon. Importing new articles from Word documents is also currently unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Samet Gulkas

and 2 more

Abstract Purpose: To assess the accuracy and efficacy of ROPScore scoring system an ancillary method to predict the severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in very low birth weight (VLBW) premature infants. Methods: The medical records of 131 premature babies having a birth weight  1500 gram and gestational age (GA) ≤ 30 weeks were included in this study. The ROPScore was calculated for each baby at six weeks of life using an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft®). Area under curve (AUC) analysis was used in both any stage of ROP and type-1 (severe) ROP to ascertain the cut-off points for the scoring model. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of the scoring system with the calibrated cut-off points were analyzed. Results: The sensitivity of the ROPScore scoring system was 88.5% ( 95% CI 79-94) and 100% (95% CI 82-100) was for predicting any stage and type-1 retinopathy of prematurity, respectively. The PPV and NPV of the models were 62% and 74.1% for any stage of ROP and those of were 50% and 100% for type-1 ROP, respectively. In ROC analysis, the mean AUCs of ROPScore model was statistically significant compared than BW and GA for predicting type -1 ROP (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study indicated that ROPScore scoring model with customized cutoff levels might be a useful method for early prediction of premature retinopathy, particularly in type-1 (severe) ROP. In addition, this model may also reduce the number of eye examinations which are essential for detecting the retinopathy of prematurity