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What is the history of Retinopathy Of Prematurity?
When was Retinopathy Of Prematurity discovered? What is the story of this discovery? Was it coincidence or not?
History
The First ROP
In 1942, Terry described the first infant who had grey, blood vessel-covered membranes behind the pupil. As more cases were described, the name retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) was coined (Fig. 1⇓ ). Distressingly, it became common around the world in special units for preterm infants. Pathologic specimens were rare (Fig. 2⇓ ) , but serial examinations of preterm infants following birth revealed that infants were not born with RLF; they developed it after birth. By the end of the 1940s, many innovations in the new preterm infant nurseries had been implicated, some were exonerated, and it was time to examine the role of oxygen.
The First ROP
In 1942, Terry described the first infant who had grey, blood vessel-covered membranes behind the pupil. As more cases were described, the name retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) was coined (Fig. 1⇓ ). Distressingly, it became common around the world in special units for preterm infants. Pathologic specimens were rare (Fig. 2⇓ ) , but serial examinations of preterm infants following birth revealed that infants were not born with RLF; they developed it after birth. By the end of the 1940s, many innovations in the new preterm infant nurseries had been implicated, some were exonerated, and it was time to examine the role of oxygen.
Posted Jun 10, 2017 by Josie 2150
