Cognitive outcomes not significantly different after ROP treatment with bevacizumab, laser
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SEATTLE —There was no significant difference in cognitive outcomes for patients with retinopathy of prematurity treated with intravitreal bevacizumab compared with those treated with laser photocoagulation, according to a speaker here.
“The most important factor related to outcome was [gestational age] and the patient’s vision,” Wei-Chi Wu, MD, PhD, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting.
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According to Wu, intravitreal bevacizumab injections for ROP may cause less damage to the retina and offer a faster procedure, but there is concern that bevacizumab may result in neurodevelopmental impairment due to the possible suppression of sustained VEGF.
“VEGF is an important neurodevelopmental factor. ... So, people have this concern of neurodevelopmental impairment, especially for long-term outcomes,” Wu said.
A prospective study included 277 participants (mean age, 8 years) who were born in Taiwan and placed in one of four groups: those with a full-term gestational age, those with a premature-term gestational age without ROP, those with ROP who did not receive treatment, and those with ROP who were treated with bevacizumab, laser photocoagulation or both.
The cognitive outcomes of the participants were evaluated using a full-scale intelligence quotient (FIQ) calculated by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.
Overall, those with ROP had a significantly lower FIQ score and percentile compared with those without ROP in the full-term and premature-term gestational age groups.
However, there was no statistically significant difference in FIQ score between those who received treatment with bevacizumab, laser photocoagulation or both.
“The combined group seems to have a little lower of a score, but it did not reach a statistically significant difference,” Wu said.
Additionally, through a linear regression model, gestational age and logMAR best corrected visual acuity were negatively correlated with FIQ score and percentile (P < .0001 and P = .0008, respectively).
“Up to 8 years old, patients with ROP showed lower FIQ score and percentile compared to the full-term patients,” Wu said. “However, different treatments for ROP did not result in significant differences in FIQ score and percentile. [Gestational age] and the patient’s vision were correlated with FIQ score and percentile.”
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Wu W. Cognitive outcomes following intravitreal bevacizumab for retinopathy of prematurity: 8 year results in a prospective cohort. Presented at: American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting; July 28-Aug. 1, 2023; Seattle.
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