Anti-VEGF injections, laser treatment produce similar outcomes in ROP
Treatment with laser or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection in infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) produced similar rates of retinal detachment after 2 years, according to a study.
In this retrospective cohort study of 298 infants with ROP, 63 infants received injections and 235 received laser treatment. The infants receiving anti-VEGF injection had higher rates of underlying neurological comorbidities and thrombocytopenia compared to those in the laser group.
Most ocular outcomes, including retinal detachment, were similar between the groups, but 44% of patients receiving injections needed a second procedure compared to only 10% in the laser group. Language, motor, and cognitive delay rates were comparable between the groups. Rates of cerebral palsy were higher amongst patients in the injection group but were not statistically significant after adjusting for comorbidities.
Reference
Zhang MH, Blair MP, Ham SA, et al. Two-year outcomes comparing anti-VEGF injections to laser for ROP using a commercial claims database. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020;51:486–493.
