title: Intravitreal bevacizumab for retinopathy of prematurity in infants ineligible for laser therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate refractive and strabismic results and the efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) ineligible for laser therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine eyes of 20 consecutive infants with high-risk prethreshold ROP (11 infants with Zone I and 9 infants with Zone II disease) who were ineligible for laser therapy due to systemic and/or ocular conditions were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. Recurrent retinopathy was treated with laser ablation. The final follow-up examination was performed at 29.8 ± 6.0 months of corrected age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All eyes responded to the initial treatment with intravitreal bevacizumab. ROP recurred in 8 eyes (36%) with initial Zone I disease and in only 2 eyes (11%) with initial Zone II disease, which were successfully treated with laser ablation. No eye developed myopia higher than 5.0 diopters. At 2.5 years, the Zone I eyes that had received laser treatment appeared to be more myopic than the Zone I eyes treated only with intravitreal bevacizumab (P = 0.038). A tendency for a higher incidence of strabismus after additional laser therapy was also noted, but was not significant (P = 0.22).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Avoidance or even deferral of laser ablation with intravitreal bevacizumab may lead to less myopization in ROP compared with conventional laser treatment.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Ahmet Murad
authors: AM
authors: Hondur
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Mehmet Özgür
authors: MÖ
authors: Çubuk
authors: Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Zekai Tahir Burak Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Zühal
authors: Z
authors: Özen Tunay
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Hatice Tuba
authors: HT
authors: Atalay
authors: Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Zekai Tahir Burak Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Özdemir
authors: Ö
authors: Özdemir
authors: Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Zekai Tahir Burak Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: İkbal Seza
authors: İS
authors: Petriçli
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: İhsan Gökhan
authors: İG
authors: Gürelik
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D053685:Laser Therapy; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000068258:Bevacizumab
keywords: Bevacizumab; myopia; retinopathy of prematurity; strabismus; vascular endothelial growth factor.