Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
Tumor Treating Field Therapy in Combination with Bevacizumab for the Treatment of Recurrent Glioblastoma
Published on: October 27, 2014
Outcomes and Need for Additional Interventions after Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Retinopathy of Prematurity
Ally J Sun1, Brisa Y Garcia1, Hank Patrick1
1UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Children's Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, Texas.
Insights
Intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) effectively treated retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in one-third of premature infants. However, many required further interventions for recurrent disease or persistent avascular retina (PAR).
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of vision impairment in premature infants.
- Intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) has emerged as a treatment option for ROP.
- Understanding the long-term outcomes and need for further treatment after IVB is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature infants.
- To assess the requirement for additional treatments following IVB injection for ROP.
- To analyze recurrence rates and the development of persistent avascular retina (PAR) post-treatment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series of 73 premature infants diagnosed with ROP.
- Data collected via chart review, including demographics, NICU course, ROP exams, and treatment outcomes.
- Key outcomes measured: recurrent ROP, complete vascularization, persistent avascular retina (PAR), and need for further interventions (laser, IVB, vitrectomy).
Main Results:
- One-third (33%) of infants achieved complete retinal vascularization after a single IVB injection.
- 18% experienced disease recurrence requiring further interventions, and 7% had persistent disease.
- 36% developed persistent avascular retina (PAR); those with recurrent or persistent ROP had significantly lower gestational ages.
Conclusions:
- A single IVB injection is sufficient for ROP regression and vascularization in approximately one-third of premature infants.
- The majority of infants require additional interventions, often laser treatment for PAR, or experience disease recurrence.
- Further research is needed on PAR prevalence and optimal monitoring duration for affected infants.
Objective:
This study investigated the outcomes of premature infants diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) that were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB), as well as the need for further treatment after injection.
Design:
Retrospective case series.
Participants:
Seventy-three premature infants born between 2016 and 2020 at a large county hospital and children's hospital.
Methods:
Chart review was performed and patient demographics, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) course, ROP exams, and treatment were collected.
Main Outcome Measures:
Rates of recurrent ROP disease, complete vascularization, persistent avascular retina (PAR), as well as rates of secondary and tertiary laser photocoagulation, IVB, or pars plana vitrectomy.
Results:
Infants included in this study were born at a median gestational age (GA) of 24.6 weeks (range, 23.0-30.1) and a median birth weight of 670 g (range, 370-1080). Patients received their IVB injection at a median postmenstrual age (PMA) of 36.4 weeks (range, 16.0-87.9). Five patients died during their NICU course and did not have long-term follow-up. Of the remaining patients, 24 (33%) experienced complete vascularization after 1 injection; 13 (18%) experienced regression followed by disease recurrence necessitating additional interventions; 5 (7%) had persistent disease and did not experience any regression requiring laser treatment or a second IVB injection; and 26 (36%) experienced regression with PAR. Patients with persistent or recurrent ROP had a significantly lower GA than other patients in the study (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
For one-third of premature patients, 1 IVB injection was sufficient for ROP regression and complete vascularization of the retina. The remaining patients required some form of additional intervention after their injection, with a majority receiving laser for PAR. One-fifth of patients experienced disease recurrence up to 58 weeks PMA. Future studies should be performed on PAR prevalence and presentations to explore how long patients with PAR should be monitored.
Financial Disclosure(S):
Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
01:27Diabetic Retinopathy