Evaluation of Infants with Retinopathy of Prematurity Treated with Intravitreal Bevacizumab

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the systemic and local effects and side effects of intravitreal bevacizumab injection in preterm infants with aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity.

Material and Methods: A total of 16 patients were included in this single-center observational cohort study between June 2020 and March 2021. The clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings before and after intravitreal injection of 0.3 mg bevacizumab were recorded for a total of 32 eyes.

Results: The patients’ mean gestational age at birth was 25±0.38 weeks and their mean birth weight was 695±119.2 g. None of the patients developed complications such as local vitreous hemorrhage or endophthalmitis secondary to intravitreal injection administered at a postmenstrual age of 34 weeks, and none required repeated injections. There was no increase in the rate of intraventricular hemorrhage after injection. There was no statistically significant difference in the patients’ laboratory parameters, blood pressure values, or systemic findings before and after treatment.

Conclusion: Although no systemic or local side effects were observed in patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injection in this study, patients should be monitored closely for systemic hypertension, intraventricular hemorrhage, and hypotension. More detailed studies are needed to evaluate later neurodevelopmental outcomes compared to other treatment options.

Keywords

• Bevacizumab
• Intraventricular hemorrhage
• Hypotension
• Hypertension
• Retinopathy of Prematurity

İntravitreal Bevacizumab Uygulanan Prematüre Retinopatisi Olan Bebeklerin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Agresif posterior prematüre retinopatisi olan prematüre bebeklerde intravitreal bevacizumab enjeksiyonunun sistemik, lokal etkilerini ve yan etkilerini değerlendirmek.

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Haziran 2020 ile Mart 2021 arasında tek merkezli gözlemsel kohort çalışmasına toplam 16 hasta dahil edildi. Toplam 32 göz için intravitreal 0.3 mg bevacizumab enjeksiyonu öncesi ve sonrası klinik, laboratuvar ve radyolojik bulgular kaydedildi.

Bulgular: Hastaların doğumdaki ortalama gestasyonel yaşı 25±0.38 hafta ve ortalama doğum ağırlığı 695±119.2 gr’dı. Hiçbir hastada postmenstrüel 34 haftalıkken intravitreal enjeksiyona sekonder lokal vitreus kanaması veya endoftalmit gibi komplikasyonlar gelişmedi, hiçbirinde tekrarlanan enjeksiyon gerekmedi. Enjeksiyondan sonra intraventriküler kanama oranında artış olmadı. Tedavi öncesi ve sonrası hastaların laboratuvar parametreleri, kan basıncı değerleri veya sistemik bulguları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark yoktu.

Sonuç: Bu çalışmada intravitreal bevacizumab enjeksiyonu ile tedavi edilen hastalarda sistemik veya lokal yan etki görülmemekle birlikte hastalar sistemik hipertansiyon, intraventriküler kanama ve hipotansiyon açısından yakından izlenmelidir. Diğer tedavi seçeneklerine kıyasla daha sonraki nörogelişimsel sonuçları değerlendirmek için daha ayrıntılı çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Keywords

• Bevacizumab
• İntraventriküler kanama
• Hipotansiyon
• Hipertansiyon
• Prematüre Retinopatisi

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