[Follow-up of central diabetic retinal changes following peripheral photocoagulation]

One eye of each of 27 patients suffering from preproliferative diabetic changes in the periphery of the retina was treated by panretinal photocoagulation; in the fellow eye photocoagulation was only performed in the peripheral zones of the fundus. Follow-up observations over an average period of 1.5 years showed a centripetal progression of capillary obliterations in only 5 eyes after peripheral photocoagulation and a less pronounced tendency to development of a diabetic maculopathy as compared to eyes treated by panretinal photocoagulation.