"The differences between the hospitals are inexplicable."
— Dordi Austeng, professor at NTNU
Regional Treatment Variations in ROP Not Explained by Diagnosis, Norwegian Study Finds
A new study from Norwegian researchers has uncovered a puzzling medical discrepancy: regional differences in treatment rates for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) cannot be explained by how ophthalmologists diagnose the condition.
The research involved all 15 ophthalmologists who screen for ROP in Norway, providing a complete picture of national screening practices.
Key Findings
ROP is an eye disease affecting premature infants, where abnormal blood vessel growth can lead to blindness if left untreated. The study tested whether ophthalmologists in different regions applied different diagnostic thresholds for when to begin treatment.
- Researchers expected that higher treatment rates would correlate with a looser approach to diagnosis. Instead, the opposite proved true.
- Ophthalmologists in the region with the highest treatment rate were actually the most restrictive in diagnosing ROP that requires treatment.
"The results showed that the ophthalmologists in the region that treated the most children were most restrictive in making the diagnosis."
— Austeng
The Biological Context
"The blood vessels in the retina...are not fully grown in premature babies," explained Tora Sund Morken, professor at NTNU. This incomplete development is what makes premature infants vulnerable to ROP.
What Might Explain the Variation?
The researchers suggest other medical factors may be at play, including:
- Differences in survival rates among premature infants across regions
- Variations in the incidence of lung disease among newborns
- Other systemic health differences between patient populations
Next Steps
The research group plans to analyze data from the Norwegian Neonatal Network to investigate these other potential causes.
Reference: Austeng D, et al. Acta Ophthalmol. 2026.