[Treatment of exudative hemorrhagic macular degenerations with the krypton laser]

Choroidal neovascularization is considered to be the cause of exudate or subretinal hemorrhage formation in the evolution of different types of macular degeneration (exudative senile macular degeneration, idiopathic macular degeneration, presumed ocular histoplasmosis, angioid streaks, etc. The only curative treatment which has proved to be successful is the destruction of subretinal neovascularisation by photocoagulation. The effect of laser photocoagulation depends on the radiation wavelength emitted and the absorption spectrum of the target tissue. It is for this reason that the red krypton laser is recommended for the destruction of subretinal neovascularizations, its action being restricted to the choroid without inflicting damage on the nerve fiber layer.