A study from Iran has shown that an injection of bevacizumab (or Avastin) injection into the eye of a baby with severe form of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) may be effective for treating such cases that are associated with significant bleeding in the eye.
The study enrolled 14 eyes of eight premature infants, all of whom had one or two sessions of laser treatment and were given injection of Avastin (bevacizumab by Genentech Company) immediately after diagnosis of bleeding or hemorrhage in the eye. Follow-up examinations were conducted at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days and 1, 2 and 3 months after injection. Plus disease (which is one of the severe stages of ROP) started to subside 1 day to 3 days after injection, and disappeared completely in all eyes within 2 weeks. At final follow-up, all eyes were stable with attached retinas and normal appearing blood vessels in the retina.
Avastin, a drug that has shown significant treatment potential in various retinal conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, vasicular occlusions, and even some conditions in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, has been shown to be effective in the severe forms of retinopathy of prematurity patients. Previously, such patients were treated with extensive laser sessions, which was difficult to treat in eyes with bleeding, since laser treatment cannot be performed in eyes with blood. Such babies had to be followed up significantly every few days to check for any evidence of progression of the disease. Considering that these are premature babies, usually in a neonatal intensive care unit, and some of them with other medical problems, such follow-up exams are usually very stressful for everyone involved; the infant baby, the neonatologist and the retina specialist who is examining and treating the baby. Hence, having an additional treatment significantly helps a retinal specialist.
Ref: Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2010 Dec;248(12):1713-8. Epub 2010 Jun 27.
Retina India is a not-for-profit organization, registered with the Charity Commissioner, Mumbai, India, established for empowering people with retinal disorders, and bringing them and their families on a common platform with physicians, researchers, counselors, low vision and mobility experts and other specialists.
Thank you for the info. It sounds pretty user friendly. I guess I’ll pick one up for fun. thank u
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