Study design

The authors included 222 eyes of 115 consecutive infants treated with panretinal photocoagulation laser or intravitreal bevacizumab for type 1 ROP between 2010 and 2018.

Outcomes

Among eyes treated before 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), retinal detachment occurred in 0 of 34 eyes treated in the bevacizumab group and in 9 of 56 eyes in the laser group (P=0.0112). In eyes treated at or after 36 weeks PMA, retinal detachment occurred in 0 of 2 bevacizumab-treated eyes and in 1 of 130 laser-treated eyes.

Limitations

This study only reviewed records from a single institution.

Clinical significance

In the short-term, bevacizumab had a lower risk of retinal detachment than laser among infants requiring treatment for type 1 ROP. The authors proposed that these findings reflect the faster effect of bevacizumab in eyes with aggressive ROP.