title: The efficacy of intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor as primary treatment of retinopathy of prematurity: Experience from a tertiary hospital.
abstract: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disease affecting premature babies and a major cause of blindness in childhood. Appropriate screening and treatment can prevent blindness.
  
  
  
  To report on the efficacy of using antivascular endothelial growth factor (bevacizumab) as first-line therapy in ROP.
  
  
  
  This was a retrospective analysis of patients with ROP treated at St John Eye Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa, over a 3-year period. Outcome measures were the clinical response to intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) as well as the economic impact of IVB therapy.
  
  
  
  Twenty-three patients were treated for active ROP or type 1 disease, in 44 eyes. Two patients required treatment in one eye only. The mean birth weight of these patients was 1 074 g (range 810 - 1 480). Response to treatment outcome was available for 22 patients (43 eyes). The mean follow-up period was 9 months (range 1 - 18). Forty-one eyes (95.3%) showed complete regression or non-progression of the disease. Two eyes (one eye each in two patients) progressed to advanced disease. There were no short-term adverse events. A cost-effective model showed that IVB treatment was much more economical than laser therapy.
  
  
  
  IVB is a safe and effective first-line treatment for ROP and should be considered in resource-limited centres.
authors.affiliation: St John Eye Hospital-Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. dockana@gmail.com.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kana
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mayet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soma
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dawood Alli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biddulph
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013019:South Africa; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000068258:Bevacizumab