Central visual field changes after panretinal photocoagulation in proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

This study comprises 53 eyes, divided into two groups A and B, with proliferative diabetic retinopathy which were treated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Its purpose is to investigate the alterations in the central 15 degrees and 30 degrees of the visual field and in each quadrant separately. In both groups A and B, PRP covered the periphery and mid-periphery. In group A, it stopped 2 disc diameters (DD) from the upper temporal and lower margin of the fovea including the papillomacular bundle, while in group B, PRP stopped 3 DD from the upper temporal and lower margin of the fovea and 1 DD of the nasal margin of the optic disc. The investigation revealed, in group B after PRP, an improvement of the retinal sensitivity in the central 15 degrees of the visual field (p less than 0.01). In the 30 degrees of the visual field a deterioration after PRP was noted in both groups A and B, the deterioration being however much more prominent in group A. Comparing the results between groups B and A after PRP, a difference in the retinal sensitivity in favour of group B at 15 degrees and 30 degrees of the visual field was found. As regards regression of neovascularization and visual acuity, no statistically significant difference has been observed between the two groups.