title: Short-term outcome after intravitreal ranibizumab injections for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate ocular outcome in premature infants treated with intravitreal ranibizumab injections for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) over a period of 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  An interventional case series. Premature infants with high-risk prethreshold or threshold ROP with plus disease received an off label monotherapy with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab. The primary outcome was treatment success defined as regression of neovascularisation (NV) and absence of recurrence. The secondary outcomes were ocular and systemic adverse events and visual acuity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six eyes were included in the study and treated with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab. All showed complete resolution of NV after a single injection. The anti-angiogenic intravitreal injections allowed for continued normal vessel growth into the peripheral retina, without any signs of disease recurrence or progression during the follow up period. No ocular or systemic adverse effects were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three years of follow up in a small series suggest that intravitreal ranibizumab injections for ROP result in apparently preserved ocular outcome. Further large scale studies are needed to address the long-term safety and efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Asociación para Evitar Ceguera en México, Hospital Luis Sanchez Bulnes IAP, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: María Ana Martínez
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Castellanos
authors.forename: Shulamit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Aguirre
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Quiroz-Mercado
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; 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; D000069579:Ranibizumab