Spectral-Domain OCT Analyses of Macular Changes After Ranibizumab Therapy for Type 1 Retinopathy of Prematurity.

PURPOSE

To investigate the clinical and macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings after intravitreal ranibizumab treatment for type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

METHODS

Eighteen eyes of 10 premature infants with type 1 ROP were retrospectively studied. All eyes were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab as monotherapy. Macular SD-OCT was performed before and after intravitreal ranibizumab therapy using a portable SD-OCT machine; the follow-up images were taken 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months after therapy.

RESULTS

Among the 10 infants, there were six males and four females. Mean central foveal thickness before and 2 months after intravitreal ranibizumab was 292.5 ± 61.4 and 171.6 ± 21.7 µm, respectively. Differences were statistically significant (P = .01). Sixteen eyes of eight patients had macular edema before treatment. Two eyes of two patients developed a crack in the outer hyperreflective line on SD-OCT corresponding with retinal pigment epithelium with serous retinal detachment 1 day after treatment. Macular edema regressed in all patients 2 months after intravitreal ranibizumab therapy. Mean follow-up time was 11.4 ± 1.5 months. No recurrence was seen except in both eyes of one patient treated with intravitreal ranibizumab monotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravitreal ranibizumab injection is effective for the treatment of type 1 ROP as a monotherapy agent; however, macular changes not seen with indirect ophthalmoscope may develop.