Retrolental Fibroplasia: Pathogenesis of Late Stages

Abstract

The late stages in retrolental fibroplasia have been described by several authors from the clinical point of view. They have been classified as: Grade IV — Entailing vessel tortuosity in the posterior pole, equatorial retinal folds and partial detachment of the retina. Grade V — Total and organized retinal detachment with fibrovascular proliferation Since there is not a great deal to be found on the description of the pathogenic mechanism in the late stages of the disease, the different forms of retinopathy are to be classified according to their location and proliferative degree. The premature newborn eye shows mesenchymal tissue which develops in the shunt area posterior to the ora serrata. The tissue proliferates and gradually contracts, producing traction on the adjacent retina. The proliferation area can be differently located pre-equatorially, equatorially and post-equatorially, probably depending upon the time of oxygen exposure. The more premature the newborn, the more posteriorly is the shunt area located.