Which dose of bevacizumab is more effective for the treatment of aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity: lower or higher dose? / Qual a dose de bevacizumab no tratamento da retinopatia da prematuridade posterior agressiva: menor ou maior dose?

ABSTRACT Purpose: To compare 0.5 mg and 0.625 mg of bevacizumab for treating aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (AP-ROP). Methods: The medical records of patients with AP-ROP who were administered intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) as a primary treatment at a university clinic were evaluated retrospectively. Five eyes of three patients (Group 1) who received 0.625 mg/0.025 ml IVB and 10 eyes of another five patients (Group 2) who received 0.5 mg/0.02 ml IVB were evaluated. Laser photocoagulation was used as additional treatment after relapses. Anatomic results and complications were evaluated in both groups. Results: We evaluated 15 eyes of eight patients (four girls and four boys) with a flat demarcation line at posterior zone 2 and plus disease or stage-3 disease in this study. The mean gestational age of the three babies in Group 1 was 26 ± 1 weeks and the mean birth weight was 835.33 ± 48.01 g. The corresponding values were 25.2 ± 1.6 weeks and 724 ± 139.03 g, respectively, for the five babies in Group 2. Retinal vascularization was completed at a mean postmenstrual duration of 53.6 ± 1.5 weeks without additional treatment in the five eyes in Group 1. Laser photocoagulation for relapse was administered to five of the 10 eyes in Group 2. Retinal vascularization was completed at a mean postmenstrual duration of 47.6 ± 1.5 weeks in the remaining five eyes. None of the patients developed complications such as cataract, glaucoma, retinal tear, retinal or vitreous hemorrhage, or retinal detachment. Conclusion: Although lower IVB doses in the treatment of AP-ROP are expected to be safer in terms of local and systemic side effects in premature infants, these patients may require additional treatment with IVB or laser photocoagulation.

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar doses de 0,5 mg e 0,625 mg de bevacizumab no tratamento da retinopatia da prematuridade posterior agressiva (ROP-PA). Métodos: os registros médicos de pacientes com ROP-PA que receberam bevacizumab intravítreo (IVB) como tratamento primário em uma clínica universitária foram avaliados retrospectivamente. Houve 5 olhos de 3 casos (Grupo 1) que receberam 0,625 mg/0,025 ml de IVB e 10 olhos de outros 5 casos (Grupo 2) que receberam 0,5 mg/0,02 ml de IVB. A fotocoagulação com laser foi utilizada como tratamento adicional para casos de recidiva. Os resultados e complicações anatômicas foram avaliados em ambos os grupos. Resultados: Incluímos os 15 olhos de 8 pacientes (4 meninas e 4 meninos) com linha de demarcação plana na zona posterior 2 e doença "plus" (dilatação e tortuosidade vascular) neste estudo. A idade gestacional média dos três bebês no Grupo 1 foi de 26 ± 1 semana e o peso médio ao nascer foi de 835,33 ± 48,01 g, enquanto esses valores foram de 25,2 ± 1,6 semanas e 724 ± 139,03 g, respectivamente, para os cinco bebês do Grupo 2. A vascularização da retina foi completada com uma duração média pós-menstrual de 53,6 ± 1,5 semanas sem tratamento adicional nos cinco olhos no Grupo 1. A fotocoagulação a laser foi administrada devido à recaída em 5 dos 10 olhos do Grupo 2. A vascularização da retina foi completada em média de 47,6 ± 1,5 semanas do período pós-menstrual nos cinco olhos restantes. Nenhum dos casos desenvolveu complicações, como catarata, glaucoma, rasgo da retina, hemorragia retiniana ou vítrea ou descolamento da retina. Conclusão: Embora as doses mais baixas de IVB no tratamento de ROP-PA sejam mais seguras em termos de efeitos colaterais locais e sistêmicos em prematuros, esses pacientes podem precisar de tratamento adicional com IVB ou fotocoagulação a laser.

Clinical study of laser photocoagulation combined with VEGF antagonists for DME / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

· AIM:To investigate the influence of laser photocoagulation and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antagonists used alone or as combination therapy on clinical efficacy and safety of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).· METHODS:Totally 150 patients (156 eyes) with DME were chosen in the period from October 2014 to October 2016 in our hospital and randomly divided into both group including Group A (50 patients 52 eyes) with laser photocoagulation used alone,Group B (50 patients 51 eyes) with VEGF antagonists used alone and Group C (50 patients 53 eyes) with combination therapy;and the best corrected visual acuity,macular fovea thickness and retinal neovascularization leakage area before and after treatment and the complications incidence of both groups were compared.· RESULTS:The best corrected visual acuity of Group B and Group C in 3,6 and 12mo after treatment were significant better than that of Group A (P＜ 0.05).The macular fovea thickness of Group B and Group C in 3,6 and 12mo after treatment were significant lower than that of Group A (P＜0.05).The retinal neovascularization leakage area of Group B and Group C in 3mo after treatment were significant smaller than that of Group A (P＜0.05).The retinal neovascularization leakage area of Group C in 6 and 12mo after treatment were significant smaller than that of Group A and Group B (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the complications incidence among 3 groups (P＞0.05).· CONCLUSION:Laser photocoagulation combined with VEGF antagonists in the treatment of patients with DME can efficiently improve visual acuity,reduce macular foveal thickness,control retinal neovascularization leakage and not increase adverse reactions.

Macular choroidal thickness changes following intravitreal injection of ranibizumab for central retinal vein occlusion / 中华实验眼科杂志

Background Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is a common retinal vascular disease.Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, is being a useful approach to the treatment of macular edema secondary to CRVO.However,little literature about choroidal thickness variations following intravitreal injection of ranibizumab for CRVO is published up to now.Objective This study was to observe the dynamic changes of macular choroidal thickness after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab in CRVO eyes.Methods A self-controlled series cases study was designed.Thirty-one eyes of 31 CRVO patients were included in Tianjin Eye Hospital from June 2013 to November 2014,with the males 19 and females 12 and mean age of (51.13±16.65) years.Ranibizumab (5 mg,5 ml) was intravitreally injected in the CRVO eyes once per month for 3 times by the same operator.A enhanced depth image (EDI) mode of spectral-domain OCT system was employed to measure the choroidal thickness at subfoveal, 1 mm from fovea nasal and 1 mm from fovea temporal before and 1 month,2,3 months after first injection in both CRVO eyes and contralateral healthy eyes, respectively.The best LogMAR vision was recored.This research protocol was approved by the Ethic Committee of this hospital, and written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to any medical examination.Results Retinal bleeding was exhibited in the CRVO eyes in color photography,and fundus fluorescein angiography showed the fluorescine leakege in the early phase and fluorescine accummulation in the late phase.The mean choroidal theckness value was (325.32±83.04) , (294.83±80.61), (315.95±90.77) and (314.81±84.98) μm before injection and 1,2,3 months after injection,respectively,showing a significantly difference among various time points (F =7.96,P =0.00) , and the choroidal theckness values were evidently reduced in various time points after injection in comparison with before injection (P =0.01,0.01,0.00).The choroidal thickness value at foveal was (314.81±84.98) μm in the CRVO eyes 3 months after injection,and that in the fellow eyes was (260.47±55.90) ,with significant difference between them (t =2.95, P =0.01).The LogMAR vision was 0.17±0.09,0.37±0.23,0.42±0.26 and 0.49±0.21 before and 1,2,3 months after injection,with the significant difference among various time points (F =21.50, P =0.00) and showed considerable improvement after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab(all at P＜0.01).The mean retinal thickness value was (244.14-±23.28) μm in the fellow eyes, and those in 1 month, 2,3 months after injection were (523.81 ± 147.61), (352.13 ± 166.71),(376.39±209.46) and (369.00±225.61) μm in the CRVO eyes, showing obvious reduce after intravitreal injection, with significant difference among different time points (F =7.09, P＜0.01).Conclusions Choroidal thickness at macular fovea is obviously increased in CRVO eyes compared with the contralateral healthy eyes.Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab can reduce choroidal thickness and therefore improve vision.EDI OCT is available in the evaluation of dynamic change of choroidal thickness.Macular choroidal thickness could be used as a predictor of CRVO prognosis following intravitreal ranibizumab.