Effect of panretinal photocoagulation on confocal laser scanning ophthalmoscopy and stereo photographic parameters of the optic disc topography in diabetic retinopathy patients

Abstract

Purpose : To determine the effect of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) on optic disc topographic parameters in non-glaucomatous patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods : This is a prospective, single center, observational study. Thirty-eight eyes of 26 diabetic patients underwent PRP for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Stereoscopic disc photographs and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters were evaluated using the Zeiss fundus camera and the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (HRT3), respectively, at baseline and 12 months after completion of PRP.

Results : Thirty-eight eyes of 26 patients (15 female) with a mean age of 53.7 years (range 26 to 74 years) were recruited. No significant difference was found between stereo photography determined mean horizontal and vertical cup to disc (C/D) ratio before and after PRP treatment (P=0.461 and 0.839, respectively). The global values of ONH parameters analyzed with the HRT3 showed no significant change from baseline to 12 months (disc area, cup area, rim area, cup volume, rim volume, C/D area ratio, linear C/D ratio, mean cup depth, maximum cup depth, cup shape measure, height variation contour, mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and cross-sectional area).

Conclusions : Our results suggest that PRP does not cause morphological optic disk changes in diabetic PDR patients after one year of follow-up.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.

 

Retinography of the posterior pole exemplifying the type of laser photocoagulation pattern used in the study

 

Example of a printout obtained from an eye using the Heidelberg Retinal Tomography 3, before laser treatment.