title: Long-term effect of antiangiogenic therapy for retinopathy of prematurity up to 5 years of follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate ocular function and systemic development in premature infants treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections for retinopathy of prematurity over a period of 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, interventional, noncomparative case study. The primary outcome measure was visual acuity. The secondary outcomes were structural assessment, other ocular functional measurements, and developmental state.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen eyes of 13 consecutive patients were divided into 3 groups: Group 1, Stage 4 unresponsive to previous conventional treatment (n = 4); Group 2, in which conventional treatment was difficult or impossible because of inadequate visualization of the retina (n = 5); and Group 3, newly diagnosed high-risk prethreshold or threshold retinopathy of prematurity (n = 9). All patients showed initial regression of neovascularization. One patient was diagnosed with recurrence of neovascularization and was treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. Visual acuity was preserved, and median vision was 20/25 (excluding 2 operated eyes). Twelve eyes developed mainly low myopia over the years, with an overall mean value of 3.2 diopters. Electroretinograph was normal in 4 eyes that had no previous detachment. One patient showed delay in growth and neurodevelopment, whereas all the others were within the normal range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Five years of follow-up in a small series suggest that intravitreal bevacizumab for retinopathy of prematurity results in apparently preserved ocular function and systemic development.
authors.affiliation: Retina Department, Asociación para Evitar la Ceguera en México, Hospital Luis Sánchez Bulnes, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Castellanos
authors.forename: Shulamit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Myriam L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hernández-Rojas
authors.forename: Veronica A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kon-Jara
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Aguirre
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guerrero-Naranjo
authors.forename: R V Paul
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Quiroz-Mercado
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D001699:Biometry; D001724:Birth Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab