Ranibizumab, delayed photocoagulation ‘can be used in practice immediately’
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Intravitreal ranibizumab with delayed laser photocoagulation effectively treated severe zone I and posterior zone II retinopathy of prematurity, according to findings presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
“This can be used in practice immediately. Ranibizumab has been approved by the FDA for intravitreal use and planned laser photocoagulation has been long approved and used for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity,” Irina De la Huerta, MD, PhD, vitreoretinal surgeon, adult and pediatric retinal specialist and an assistant professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Healio. “This protocol that combines the two treatments has been in use at Vanderbilt since at least 2015.”
De la Huerta and Carolyn G. Ahlers, a fourth-year medical student at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and co-presenter, conducted a retrospective consecutive case series of 18 infants with zone I or posterior zone II retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) stage 3 plus disease who were treated with 0.25 mg/0.025 mL of intravitreal ranibizumab and delayed laser photocoagulation 4 to 6 weeks later.
They reported 2-year follow-up data on the 18 infants, which totaled 36 eyes. According to the abstract, no eyes experience ROP recurrences.
“Treatment of zone I or posterior zone II retinopathy of prematurity plus disease with intravitreal ranibizumab, which is an anti-VGEF medication, plus delayed planned laser photocoagulation (so, 4 to 6 weeks later) decreases the risk of late retinopathy of prematurity recurrences and decreases the need for retreatment,” Ahlers said.
However, it is noted that nine eyes developed myopia and two patients were diagnosed with strabismus.
“The main takeaway from this project is the utility of this treatment in preventing unfavorable structural outcomes, but we also wanted to highlight the need for further follow-up of these patietns to assess neural developmental outcomes after treatment with this protocol,” De la Huerta said.
Collapse
Ahlers CG. Outcomes of treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab and laser photocoagulation for severe zone I and posterior zone II retinopathy of prematurity. Presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting; May 6, 2020 (virtual meeting).
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts