Laser treatment of macular disease

The introduction of laser photocoagulation for the treatment of macular disease has enabled many patients to retain visual acuity and retard additional deterioration of vision. Treatable maculopathy can occur as the result of choroidal neovascular development, idiopathic central serous choroidopathy, and retinal vascular disease. Variations in the treatment of these maculopathies include type of laser used, spot size, duration of treatment, burn pattern, and intensity of the burn. The cause of the maculopathy determines the type of laser photocoagulation that is most appropriate. While some forms of treatment leave characteristic scars, others leave hardly a trace. Use of fluorescein angiography, and in some cases indocyanine green angiography, is essential in the determination of the appropriate laser treatment modality.