Laser photocoagulation of diabetic macular edema guided by optical coherence tomography (OCT)‎

Abstract EN

Introduction : Diabetic macular edema is the most common cause of visual loss in diabetic subjects.

Early recognition and treatment are essential for improvement in visual acuity and prevention of further complications.

In our prospective study we evaluated the role of laser guided photocoagulation in diabetic macular edema as a procedure to facilitate treatment and precise follow up with re treatment as the condition may demand.

Objectives : To demonstrate the utility of optical coherence tomography for documenting an early response to laser photocoagulation in clinically significant macular edema secondary to diabetes, and to investigate and analyze the effectiveness of modified grid laser and providing a suggested approach to guided laser treatment.

Methods : All patients under went complete ophthalmic evaluation, including indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus biomicroscopy, best corrected visual acuity, A-scan ultra-sonography, Fundus Fluorescein angiography (FFA-) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed for all eyes before and after Argon laser photocoagulation.

Results : Twenty one eyes with diabetic maculopathy were included in the study with 10 eyes of 8 patients with focal diabetic maculopathy and a second group of 11 eyes of 6 patients with diffuse diabetic maculopathy.

Decreased retinal thickness was fund to correspond to improving VA in a statically significant manner.

Conclusion : Optical coherence tomography can be used to detect and follow macular thickness correlating it with VA and guiding laser photocoagulation in diabetic macular edema.