Transient myopia and accommodative paresis following retinal cryotherapy and panretinal photocoagulation

Loss of accommodation, transient myopia, or both, were complications following retinal cryotherapy in two eyes and after panretinal photocoagulation in six eyes (seven patients). A 17-year-old young man had these refractive difficulties one week after cryotherapy for retinal holes. His accommodative amplitude measured 1.0 D in the treated eye and 8.0 D in the untreated eye. One week later he received cryotherapy to the previously untreated eye, reducing that accommodative amplitude to 2.5 D. Accommodative paresis and transient myopia resolved without treatment within five weeks. Six other patients (six eyes, seven episodes) with an average age of 33 years demonstrated accommodative loss (40% to 92% decrease, average decrease 64%), transient myopia, or both, after panretinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. All patients recovered without treatment within six weeks (average, 22 days). All young patients should be made aware of this transient, but troublesome complication before treatment.