Global survey reveals trends in treatment for retinopathy of prematurity

The use of anti-VEGF therapies is increasingly favored as the first-line treatment for severe cases of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to a study.

However, laser therapy remains the preferred treatment for less severe cases.

In this comprehensive retrospective study, a of 14 question survey was distributed to pediatric ophthalmology interest groups worldwide.

The survey was completed by 54 ophthalmologists from 11 countries. The respondents screened an average of 394 infants per year.

The findings indicated that anti-VEGF agents are becoming the preferred treatment for aggressive (A)-ROP (64.1%) and Type 1 ROP in both zone 1 (71.7%) and posterior zone 2 (56.6%).

Laser therapy was predominantly used as the first-line treatment for Type 1 ROP in anterior zone 2 (73.6%) and zone 3 (79.2%). In addition, laser was the primary modality for infants requiring repeat treatments after anti-VEGF injections. Among the anti-VEGF agents, bevacizumab was favored, typically administered at a dose of 0.625 mg.

These results suggest a significant trend toward utilizing anti-VEGF therapies as a first-line treatment, particularly for severe cases of ROP, while maintaining laser as the preferred approach for certain types.

Reference
Wang AT, Dai S. Preferred Treatment Patterns of Retinopathy of Prematurity: An International Survey. Pediatr Rep. 2024;16(3):816-822. doi: 10.3390/pediatric16030069. PMID: 39311332; PMCID: PMC11417966.