Foredragsholder / Presenter

Navn / Name:   Margareta Hök Wikstrand

Institution: Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset/Mölndal

Afdeling / Department : Department of Ophthalmology

E-mail : margarita.hok-wikstrand@vgregion.se

Medforfattere / Co-authors:

Navn / Name:Aimon Niklasson MD, PhD

Institution: The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital

Afdeling / Department: Göteborg Pediatric Growth Research Center

Navn / Name:Ann Hellström Professor in Pediatric Ophthalmology

Institution:Sahlgrenska Academy /The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital

Afdeling / Department: Pediatric Ophthalmology

ABSTRACT

Aim: To investigate the ocular fundus morphology in children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and compare them with ocular fundus morphology in a control group of children born after spontaneous conception.  

Method: Children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (n=82) had ocular fundus photographs taken at the age of 5 years and results were compared with those of a reference group (n=203). The ocular fundus morphology with the central retinal vessels was evaluated by digital image analysis.

Results: Children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (n=57) had abnormal retinal vascularization as evidenced by a lower number of central vascular branching points (median 25, range 19-35) compared with a control group of children born after spontaneous conception (n=181) (median 27, range 20-40) (p=0.0002). However, there was no difference in the number of retinal vessel branching points between the ICSI girls and the reference group. Thus, it was the ICSI boys, who had significantly fewer retinal branching points. There were no significant differences in the areas of optic nerve head, cup and/or rim between the ICSI children (n=82) and the reference group (n=203).

Conclusion: Our findings show that ICSI children have a reduced number of retinal branching points indicating an abnormal vessel development. A difference in gender showed that ICSI boys had fewer retinal branching points, but not the ICSI girls compared with the control group.   When eliminating factors earlier shown to be associated with a low number of vascular branching points, i.e. low birth weight and preterm birth the difference in vascular pattern still remained. This suggests other mechanisms (e.g. infertility, genetics of infertility and/or the reproduction technology) responsible for the low number of vascular branching points demonstrated in boys born after ICSI in the present study.

Key words: In vitro fertilization (IVF), digital image analysis, optic disc, abnormal retinal vascularization.