Preliminary Anatomical and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Intravitreal Bevacizumab As Adjunctive Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the two-year follow-up of patients with type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) who received intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) as adjunctive treatment.

Materials and methods: We conducted a longitudinal follow-up study of premature infants who received 0.625 mg IVB therapy in addition to standard laser photocoagulation therapy. For comparison of the ophthalmological and neurological assessment outcomes of these infants, a control group was formed with 13 birth weight- and gestational age-matched infants who were treated with laser therapy alone for type 1 ROP. The neurological status of the study group and the control group was examined systematically, and neurodevelopmental evaluation was assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III).

Results: A total of 18 eyes of 13 infants were included in the study. Anatomical success was obtained in 14 eyes (78%) and retinal detachment was observed in 4 eyes (22%). At two years of age, no significant difference was found in terms of spherical or cylindrical refractive errors compared to the control group. In control group, 2/13 patients’ and in study group, 3/13 patients’ neurological examinations were abnormal. No significant difference was found in the mean cognitive, language or motor BSID-III test scores of the groups.

Conclusions: IVB appears to be useful for advanced ROP when laser treatment is precluded or not sufficient for preventing the progression of ROP. This pilot study indicates that IVB seems to contribute no further complications to the complications already present due to prematurity.

• Antivascular endothelial growth factor
• bevacizumab
• retinopathy of prematurity

Acknowledgments

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty approved retrospective review of this data and the study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Contributions to Authors in each of these areas

Design of the study (B. A–-E.,N. K., B. E. and A. D.); conduct of the study (B. A–E., N. K., O. A–C., D. Y–İ. and M. O.); collection (B. A–E., N. K., S. T., O. A–C., D. Y–İ., B. A. and B. E.) management, analysis and interpretation of the data (B. A–E., N. K., B. E. and M. O.); and preparation, review or approval of the manuscript (B.A–E., N. K., B. E. and M. O.).