Premium
THE VALUE OF PHOTOCOAGULATION IN DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Author(s) -
ZETTERSTRÖM BIRGITTA
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1972.tb05957.x
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetic retinopathy , ophthalmology , retinal , fundus (uterus) , retinopathy , fluorescein angiography , visual acuity , retina , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , physics , optics
Photocoagulation was carried out on 80 patients with bilateral symmetrical diabetic retinopathy whose ages ranged from 21 to 70 years. Only one eye was treated in each case and the response was compared with the condition of the untreated fellow eye. The degree of severity of retinopathy varied; changes such as microaneurysm, retinal oedema, yellow exudate, dilated blood vessels, retinal neovascularisation not involving the vitreous, and intra‐retinal and preretinal haemorrhages were present. Cases which showed formation of new vessels or connective tissue proliferation into the vitreous were excluded. The follow‐up period varied from 1 to 3 years. All patients were followed up with fundus photographs in colour, estimation of visual acuity, and fluorescein angiography. These procedures showed a clear‐cut remission of retinopathy in 68% of the cases, no improvement in 26% and progression of the lesions in 10%. As regards the situation in the untreated fellow eye, the corresponding percentages were 14, 71, and 15%, respectively.