Argon and krypton laser photocoagulation of senile exudative macular degeneration

Senile exudative macular degeneration can be divided into two stages: the pre-exudative stage of drusen and pigment-epithelial degeneration and the exudative stage of pigment-epithelial detachment (PED) and the disciform lesion. Patients with PED may retain useful vision for many years but finally subretinal neovascularisation develops resulting in a disciform scar with loss of central vision. Photocoagulation has no favourable therapeutic effect. The disciform lesion has a poor visual outcome. In part of the patients the subretinal neovascularisation can successfully be treated by laser coagulation. The prognosis depends on duration of symptoms, visual acuity and the distance between neovascularisation and the foveal area. As the newly formed vessels will grow rapidly towards the posterior pole, patients with a senile disciform lesion must be considered as emergency cases. The krypton laser has advantages over the argon laser but to what degree is still to be assessed.