Patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy need life-long screening for retinal detachment

Screening for all patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) should continue throughout life due to the long-term risk of progression to retinal detachment, even in those previously treated with peripheral laser, according to a study.

In this retrospective consecutive case series, 75 pediatric patients (101 eyes) with stage 1 (32.7%) or 2 (67.3%) FEVR who received peripheral laser photocoagulation were included. Laser treatment was given an average of 3.1 months after diagnosis, with 52% of eyes receiving >1 laser treatment with a mean number of laser treatments per eye of 2.1. Patients were followed for a mean of 6.8 years.

In 48.5% of stage 1 eyes and 13.2% of stage 2 eyes, an increase in stage from diagnosis was observed. Retinal detachment occurred in 12.9% of patients with a mean time of 4.2 years from the last laser treatment to detachment.

There was no significant differences found between age at diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, number of lasers, or time between diagnosis and first laser of patients that developed detachments and patients that did not.  

The authors suggested that life-long screening for patients with FEVR, regardless of peripheral laser treatment, is needed.

Reference
De la Huerta I, et al. Long-term risk of retinal detachment in pediatric patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy previously treated with peripheral laser. Presented at: 2020 ASRS Virtual Meeting.