AIM: To observe the changes of the development of the anterior segment in children after the treatment of laser photocoagulation(LP)for retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)by corneal topographic.

METHODS: In this retrospective case study, 25 children(50 eyes)as ROP group and 23 children(46 eyes)born at term as control group had participated in the study. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)was examined in both groups, and converted to LogMAR vision when statistical analysis was performed. The observation indicators of the Sirius anterior segment analysis system in the study were as follows: the horizontal iris diameter(HVID), corneal radius of the thinnest point, the thinnest point of the cornea, the maximum curvature of the cornea, the maximum radius of cornea curvature, central corneal thickness(CCT), corneal volume(CV), anterior chamber depth(ACD), anterior chamber volume and the anterior chamber angle.

RESULTS: The HVID, the thinnest point of the cornea, ACD, and the anterior chamber volume in ROP group were smaller than that in the control group(all P<0.05). The CV and the anterior chamber angle in ROP group were smaller than that in the control group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups(all P>0.05). The BCVA was significantly better in the control group than that in the ROP group(0.07±0.10 vs 0.24±0.25, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The development of eye anterior ganglion tissues of the ROP group had changed with steeper cornea, shallower anterior chamber, smaller angle of the anterior chamber and poor BCVA. All of the changes above might make it easier for the development of refractive errors and glaucoma.