Abstract
Purpose :
To present functional and anatomical outcomes in the second year of follow-up of 48 eyes of 44 patients that presented with CSDME and were treated with subthreshold micropulse 577 nm laser photostimulation.
Methods :
Consecutive case series of patients that presented from November 2013 through November 2015. As in the first report (ARVO 2015-Poster Number 1764-A0197) patients were divided into two groups: a) with central macular thickness (CMT) ≤ 400 μm (31 patients) and b) with CMT > 400 μm (13 patients) at baseline. Laser photostimulation was performed with a 577 nm laser in the micropulse delivery mode in a sub-visible-threshold manner, with no signs of laser impacts discernable during treatment and at any time post-operatively. Measurable outcome variables were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and CMT. Mean follow-up was 12 months (6-18 mo)
Results :
In the second year about half of the patients completed the follow-up with respect to the first year. The main reason was their shift to intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment; one second reason was the loss to follow-up. The mean BCVA in the group with CMT <400 um was 0.56 ± 0.17 before treatment and 0.6 ± 0.19 after treatment. Mean CMT before treatment was 335.6 ± 36.2 um and 286 ± 64.7 um after treatment. Considering visual acuity outcomes, in this group 2 eyes had a gain of more than 15 letters, 2 eyes had a gain of more than10 letters, 20 eyes were stable and 3 eyes had a loss of more than 5 letters, 1 eye or more than 10 letters. The mean BCVA in the group with CMT >400 um was 0.43 ± 0.15 before treatment and 0.59 ± 0.29 after treatment. Mean CMT was 452.4 ± 42 um before treatment and 334.25 ± 79.8 um after treatment. Considering visual acuity outcomes in this group, 5 eyes had a mean gain of more than 10 letters, 2 eyes of more than 10 letters letters, 5 remained stable, 1 eye had a loss of more than 5 letters, and non eyes lost more than 10 letters.
Conclusions :
Laser photostimulation using the 577 nm yellow laser in the micropulse emission mode maintains its efficacy in stabilizing / improving BCVA and in reducing / eliminating DME in 27 over 31 and 12 over 13 of the patients that remained in the study. There is no concern about safety, having virtually no collateral effects.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.