Abstract
Purpose: :
To review the results of krypton laser photocoagulation for retinal arterial macroaneurysms in symptomatic eyes.
Methods: :
A retrospective analysis was performed on 24 eyes in 24 patients undergoing laser photocoagulation with yellow wavelength (568 nm) krypton laser for symptomatic retinal arterial macroaneurysms involving the macula from 1998-2008.These patients had direct treatment to the macroaneurysm by a single retinal surgeon. All patients presented with worsening visual acuity secondary to the macroaneurysm involving the macula evidenced by biomicroscopy, color fundus photos, and angiography. Eyes with macroaneurysms not contributing to visual loss or threatening the macula were not in included in the study. Visual acuities were recorded at the initial visit, at treatment, and at time ranges of 3, 6, and 9 month intervals following treatment, and at the final exam. Snellen acuities were converted to logMAR scale for comparison. Complications and comorbid ocular diseases were also noted along with subsequent interventions following treatment.
Results: :
Twenty four eyes in 24 patients were included in this review. There were 19 females and 5 males. The average age at onset was 80 years old. At the initial visit, mean visual acuity was 1.00 (~20/200) (range: 0.3 to 2) compared to the final visit visual acuity of 0.71 (~20/102) (range: 0.18 to 1.3) resulting in the mean visual angle being approximately halved. The mean final follow-up visit was 96 weeks (range: 13 to 364). Of the 24 eyes, 5 eyes experienced subsequent comorbid ocular conditions which limited their outcome. Of the remaining 19 eyes, the mean initial visual acuity was 1.11 (~20/258) (range: 0.3 to 2) and the final visual acuity at a mean follow-up of 57 weeks (range: 13 to 135) was 0.64 (~20/87) (range: 0.18 to 1.3). There were no complications related to the treatment.
Conclusions: :
In our series, krypton laser photocoagulation was found to be safe and provides a benefit in eyes with symptomatic retinal arterial macroaneurysms. Improvements in visual acuity were greater in eyes without other comorbid ocular conditions.
Keywords: retina • laser • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications