Prospects for Treatment of Pediatric Vitreoretinal Diseases with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibition

Abstract

While angiogenesis inhibitors are already widely used to treat retinal disease in adults, only limited reports are currently available for the use of anti-VEGF in pediatric vitreoretinal diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity, Coats' disease, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy and retinopathy of incontinentia pigmenti. The limited trials of anti-VEGF therapy for pediatric vitreoretinal diseases are promising, although more extensive controlled trials will be needed to confirm their safety and efficacy. This paper will examine the current evidence for use of anti-VEGF therapy in a number of pediatric vitreoretinal disorders and describe a case of anti-VEGF therapy in retinopathy of incontinentia pigmenti.

Keywords:

• intravitreal avastin
• retinopathy of prematurity
• coats' disease
• familial exudative vitreoretinopathy
• retinopathy of incontinentia pigmenti
• pediatric vitreoretinopathy
• anti-angiogenesis
• VEGF
• VEGF Inhibition
• anti-VEGF and infants