J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2009 Mar;50(3):376-382. 10.3341/jkos.2009.50.3.376.

Short-term Clinical Outcome of Patterned Scanning Laser Photocoagulation With Short Exposure Time in Diabetic Retinopathy

• Cho BJ
• Kim TW
• Woo SJ
• Chung H
• Heo JW

• KMID: 2111247
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2009.50.3.376

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical effect and complications of patterned scanning laser photocoagulation with short exposure time in diabetic retinopathy.
METHODS
A prospective study was performed on patients with diabetic retinopathy who required panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Twenty-nine eyes of twenty five consecutive patients underwent patterned scanning laser photocoagulation with exposure time of 0.02 sec over the entire retina. Pain score at treatment, best-corrected visual acuity, the development of macular edema, regression of neovascularization in fluorescein angiography, and related complications were monitored during a three-month follow-up.
RESULTS
Treatment time for PRP was much reduced to 6.1 min on the entire retina. Pain during the photocoagulation was moderate, and enabled patients to finish PRP with ease. During a three-month follow-up, visual acuity was well preserved. Foveal minimum thickness increased at 1 month after treatment and maintained in a study period of three months. Macular volume showed significant increase (3.6%) at 1 month after treatment, maximum increase (9.8%) at 2 months, and persistent increase (4.9%) at 3 months. In every patient with very severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, retina was maintained, and in 10 of 18 eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, neovascularization regressed during follow-up period. No significant complication occurred except a transient vitreous hemorrhage in one eye.
CONCLUSIONS
Patterned scanning laser photocoagulation with short exposure time may induce transient macular edema, but the visual acuity was preserved without any other significant complication. It is considered to be a safe and efficient treatment method in diabetic retinopathy.

Keyword

Panretinal photocoagulation; Patterned scanning laser photocoagulation

MeSH Terms

Diabetic Retinopathy
Eye
Fluorescein Angiography
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Light Coagulation
Macular Edema
Prospective Studies
Retina
Visual Acuity
Vitreous Hemorrhage

Figure

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  Figure 1. Pain score profile in patterned scanning laser photocoagulation.

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  Figure 2. Change of best-corrected visual acuity in logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) before and after patterned scanning laser photocoagulation. During a three-month follow-up, visual acuity did not change significantly.

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  Figure 3. Change of foveal minimum thickness before and after patterned scanning laser photocoagulation. The foveal minimum thickness were significantly higher at 1, 2 and 3 months postoperatively (p=0.009, 0.022, 0.013, respectively).

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  Figure 4. Change of macular volume before and after patterned scanning laser photocoagulation. Macular volume increased significantly after 1 week postoperatively (p<0.001), and were higher at 1, 2 and 3 months postoperatively (p<0.001, p=0.001, p=0.016, respectively).

Reference

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