Comparability of input parameters in the German Retina.net ROP registry and the EU-ROP registry - An exemplary comparison between 2011 and 2021.

PURPOSE: The German Retina.net ROP registry and its Europe-wide successor, the EU-ROP registry, collect data from patients treated for ROP. This analysis compares input parameters of these two registries to establish a procedure for joint analyses of different registry data using exemplary datasets from the two registries. METHODS: Exemplary datasets from the two databases over a 1-year period each (German Retina.net ROP Registry, 2011, 22 infants; EU-ROP Registry, 2021, 44 infants) were compared. The parameters documented in the two databases were aligned and analysed regarding demographic parameters, treatment modalities, complications within first 24 h and retreatments. RESULTS: The current analysis showed that data can be aligned for joint analyses with some adjustments within the data structure. The registry with more detailed data collection (EU-ROP) needs to be reduced regarding granularity in order to align the different registries, as the registry with lower granularity determines the level of analyses that can be performed in a comparative approach. In the exemplary datasets, we observed that the overall most common ROP severity in both registries was zone II, 3+ (2011: 70.5%; 2021: 65%), with decreasing numbers of clock hours showing preretinal neovascularisations (2011: 10-12 clock hours in 29% of cases, 2021: 4-6 clock hours in 38%). The most prevalent treatment method was laser coagulation in 2011 (75%) and anti-VEGF therapy in 2021 (86.1%). Within the anti-VEGF group, all patients were treated with bevacizumab in 2011 and with ranibizumab in 2021. Retreatment rates were comparable in 2011 and 2021. CONCLUSION: Data from two different ROP registries can be aligned and jointly analysed. The analysis reveals a paradigm shift in treatment modalities, from predominantly laser to anti-VEGF, and within the anti-VEGF group from bevacizumab to ranibizumab in Germany. In addition, there was a trend towards earlier treatment in 2021.

[Screening for retinopathy of prematurity: Trends over the past 5 years in two German university hospitals]. / Frühgeborenenretinopathie-Screening: Trends über die vergangenen 5 Jahre an zwei deutschen Universitätskliniken.

BACKGROUND: The number of preterm births in Germany has been increasing continuously over the past decades. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major complication of preterm birth and one of the leading causes of blindness in children. OBJECTIVES: This study analyzes the development of the incidence of ROP over the past 5 years at two German university hospitals, utilizing data from ROP screening examinations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We assessed all children born in the years 2012-2016 who were included in the ROP screening program at two German university hospitals according to the criteria of the German ROP screening guidelines. Parameters such as gestational age, birth weight, ROP stage and zone, and need for therapeutic intervention were assessed. RESULTS: We analyzed the data of 863 children who had undergone a total of 4117 screening examinations. The number of children included in the screening program per study year increased continuously over the study period by a total of 43.1% (137 in 2012, 196 in 2016). Likewise, the number of screening examinations per year increased by 58.4% (608 in 2012, 963 in 2016). Overall, 27.5% of screened infants were diagnosed with ROP of any stage and 2.5% required treatment for ROP. The number of children diagnosed with ROP of any stage per year increased by 100.0% (32 in 2012, 64 in 2016). Mean gestational age (29.0 ± 3.0 weeks) and mean birth weight (1192 ± 513 g) remained stable over the study period. CONCLUSION: Screening data for ROP from two German university hospitals demonstrates a significant increase in both the number of screened infants and the number of infants affected by ROP over the past 5 years.