Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for retinopathy of prematurity: comparison between Ranibizumab and Bevacizumab

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the effect and the treatment outcomes of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in the treatment of Type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods: This was a bicentered retrospective case series performed at institutional referral centers. Seventy-two eyes of 37 patients who had intravitreal injections of either bevacizumab or ranibizumab as the primary treatment for Type 1 ROP were included. Outcomes' measures included regression and recurrence of ROP, the surgical complications, and refractive errors at a corrected age of 1 year.

Results: All but one eye in the bevacizumab group had retinal neovascularization and plus disease regression after anti-vascular endothelium growth factor treatment. Neither recurrence of ROP nor major ocular complications, including cataract, retinal detachment, and endophthalmitis occurred in any of the treated eyes. There were no significant differences in mean refractive errors between the patients treated with intravitreal injections of bevacizumab or ranibizumab at the corrected age of 1 year. A significantly higher chance of high myopia was noted in the bevacizumab group (P = 0.03).

Conclusion: Both bevacizumab and ranibizumab showed similar efficacy in the regression of ROP with minor mean refractive errors at 1 year of corrected age. However, high myopia was more prevalent in the bevacizumab-treated eyes.