Treatment for non-type 1 retinopathy of prematurity by intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs

Abstract

To explore clinical characteristics and treatment reasons for intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs in the treatment of non-type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). A retrospective study was conducted to screen the non-type 1 ROP from the collected ROP patients who received intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs in Henan Eye Hospital from September 2018 to June 2021. A total of 138 ROP cases (262 eyes) were included in this study, including 39 cases (28.3%) 65 eyes (24.8%) were the non-type 1 ROP. Compared with the type 1 ROP group, the non-type 1 ROP group had slightly later treatment time (41.1±8.9 weeks vs 38.6±5.5 weeks, P<0.05) and a higher proportion of fusion protein drugs(87.2% vs 54.5%, P<0.05). After intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs, 27 eyes (41.5%) were cured and 38 eyes (58.5%) were improved in the non-type 1 ROP group, without recurrence and aggravation cases. There were more lesions in zone II (63 eyes, 96.9%), stage 2 (41 eyes, 63.1%) and stage 3 (22 eyes, 33.8%), and 58 eyes (89.2%) showed pre-plus in the non-type 1 ROP group. Treatment reasons included pre-plus in 58 eyes (89.2%), ridge changes in 22 eyes (33.8%), simultaneous treatment of the contralateral eye in 9 eyes (13.8%), no regression of lesions in persistent stage 2 or 3 over 44 weeks of follow-up in 8 eyes (12.3%), and logistical considerations in 4 eyes (6.2%). Considering some peculiar clinical characteristic, personalized treatment by intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs may be necessary for some non-type 1 ROP in critical conditions.