Comparison of fluorescein angiographic findings in type 1 and type 2 retinopathy of prematurity with intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy and spontaneous regression.

PURPOSE: To investigate the extent of vascularization of the peripheral retina and vascular development patterns in patients with type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) and compare fluorescein angiography (FA) findings of them to those seen in patients with type 2 ROP who have recovered spontaneously.

METHODS

Between May 2014 and September 2016, patients with type 1 ROP who had a single 0.025 ml (0.625 mg) IVB were evaluated as study group. On the other hand, type 2 ROP patients with stage 2 or stage 3 ROP in zone II without plus disease on indirect ophthalmoscopy were not treated and included as a control group. The progression of ROP and vascularization of retina were evaluated by FA under sedation analgesia in all patients.

RESULTS

Sixty-two eyes of 31 premature infants were included in the study: 36 eyes/18 patients were treated for type 1 ROP and 26 eyes/13 patients were followed conservatively with the diagnoses of type 2 ROP. In the last FA examination among the study group, vascular terminal was in zone II in 8 eyes/4 patients (22.22%) and in zone III in 28 eyes/14 patients (77.78%). Vascular terminal was in zone III in all eyes of the control group (100%). We noted circumferential vessels in 12 eyes/8 patients (33.3%) and 7 eyes/5 patients (26.92%) in the study and control groups, respectively. Abnormal branching was noticed in 13 eyes/7 patients (46.42%) in the control group, whereas it was not detected in the study group. Arteriovenous shunts were noted in 1 eye of a patient in the study group and in 5 eyes/4 patients in the control group. In 6 eyes/3 patients among the study group, we performed laser photocoagulation to the avascular retina because of profound vascular leakage.

CONCLUSION

Peripheral vascular abnormalities probably occur as a result of ROP itself because similar FA findings were detected both in type 1 and type 2 ROP patients with or without treatment, although significantly less in IVB-treated group. Retinal vascularization usually reaches the farthermost limits with time even though it slows down in eyes treated with IVB, indicating the importance of a longer follow-up.