Intravitreal bevacizumab was significantly better than laser therapy for zone I disease.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a devastating consequence of prematurity and a leading cause of childhood blindness and vision loss. In the immature retina, in which vascularization is not complete, the pathogenesis of ROP involves increased oxygen exposure and decreased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) followed by decreased oxygen and increased VEGF. During the past 2 decades, treatment has evolved from cryotherapy to laser therapy to halt the aberrant growth, but this treatment destroys cells that produce VEGF and compromises future development of the vasculature of the retina.
In a randomized multicenter trial, investigators compared intravitreal bevacizumab (IB) with conventional laser therapy in 143 preterm infants (birth w…