Quantitative vascular outgrowth and anatomic and refractive outcomes of eyes treated with bevacizumab in posterior zone Ⅰ

Purpose: To report the anatomic and refractive outcomes and retinal vascular outgrowth in eyes with posterior zone Ⅰ retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB).

Methods: Thirty-eight eyes of 21 infants treated with IVB for type 1 and aggressive-ROP, and whose posterior border of retinal vascularization was shorter than the optic disc-to-fovea distance were defined as posterior zone Ⅰ and included in the study.

Results: Nine eyes of five infants whose follow-up time was lower than four months were accepted as insufficient for clinical outcomes. Additional treatment(s) had been performed up to 60 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) in 10 of 29 eyes whose follow-up were higher than four months. Macula was attached at the final examination in all eyes with > 4 months follow-up. Anatomical outcome of two eyes of one infant was accepted as unfavorable whose routine follow-up was interrupted after successful initial treatment and who was presented with straightening of the temporal vascular arcade and residual fibrovascular tractional bands on the temporal periphery. The mean progression of temporal retinal vascularization was 3.6 ± 2.0 horizontal disc diameters (DD) within 7.3 weeks and 5.1 ± 2.5 horizontal DD within 69.1 weeks in the short-term (n=15) and long-term evaluated eyes (n=21), respectively. The mean spherical equivalent was -4.1 diopters at a mean age of 21 months (n=28).

Conclusions: A favorable outcome had been achieved in almost all bevacizumab-treated eyes, but additional treatments were required. Significant progression of retinal vascularization was detected even in the eyes with short follow-up.