Changes in Central Macular Thickness following Single Session Multispot Panretinal Photocoagulation

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Diabetic Retinopathy

Background:

• Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a severe complication of diabetes that can lead to vision loss.
• Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) is a standard treatment for PDR, aiming to reduce neovascularization.
• Understanding the impact of PRP on macular health is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in central subfield (CSF) macular thickness after single-session, multispot PRP.
• To assess the effect of this PRP treatment on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

Main Methods:

• Thirty-three patients with newly diagnosed PDR underwent single-session, 20-millisecond, multispot PRP.
• Central macular thickness and BCVA were measured at baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks post-treatment.
• Statistical analysis compared follow-up measurements to baseline values.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in mean CSF thickness was observed at 4 weeks (+24.0 μm) and 12 weeks (+17.4 μm) post-PRP.
• Mean BCVA showed a mild, statistically significant increase at 4 weeks (+0.05 logMAR units), returning near baseline by 12 weeks (+0.02 logMAR units).
• Macular edema occurred in only 5% of eyes at the 12-week follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Single-session, 20-millisecond, multispot PRP leads to temporary macular thickening and minor BCVA fluctuations.
• The incidence of macular edema following this PRP protocol appears to be low.
• This PRP treatment modality is considered a safe option for managing proliferative diabetic retinopathy.