EVALUATION OF OCULAR BIOMETRIC PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY WHO RECEIVED INTRAVITREAL ANTI-VEGF INJECTION

The pathological development of vascular tissues in eyes that have undergone retinopathy of prematurity (Rop) leads to various degrees of anatomical and functional changes.  Our aim is to evaluate the biometry parameters affecting refraction in ROP cases treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF injection.

Third level state hospital, Antalya, Turkey

Ocular biometry measurements taken at the age of 8 years in ROP patients followed between January 2013 and July 2024 were analyzed. ROP stages and spherical equivalent (SE) values were saved. Lens thickness (LT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), axial length (AL) and keratometry (K) parameters were evaluated by taking ocular biometry measurements of the patients. It was compared with the parameters of the control group consisting of healthy children in the same age group.

Fifty eyes of 27 patients who underwent intravitreal anti-VEGF for stage 3 ROP were compared with 50 eyes of 25 healthy children. The mean SE in the study group were -0.51, mean LT measurements were 3.79 µm, mean ACD measurements were 3.32 µm, mean AL  measurements were  21.94 mm and mean K measurements were 44.44 D, while in the control group they were +0.16, 3.45 µm,  3.61 µm, 22.71 mm and  42,37 D,  respectively. Mean LT, AL and K values of the cases in the study group were statistically significantly higher compared to the control group (p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.001; p<0.01) while the mean ACD values significantly lower (p=0.001; p<0.01). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between SE values and AL values in the study group (r=-0.319; p=0.024; p<0.05).

Although LT, AL and K values were associated with myopic refraction in ROP patients with intravitreal anti-VEGF, statistical significance was determined as AL.