The change of macular thickness following single-session pattern scan laser panretinal photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To identify the incidence and risk factors of macular edema development following single-session pattern scan laser panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) for eyes with diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS

Medical records were reviewed in consecutive patients who underwent single-session PRP for diabetic retinopathy. The eyes with baseline central subfield retinal thickness (CRT) less than 300 μm were included.

RESULTS

Macular edema developed in 11 (8.5%) of 129 eyes 1 months after PRP. In the multivariate analysis, baseline CRT (μm) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00-1.08, p = 0.048) and presence of intraretinal cystoid spaces or subretinal fluid on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images (OR = 38.33; 95% CI = 1.36-1,083.14, p = 0.032) were significantly associated with macular edema development at 1-month visit. Macular edema developed in two (2.1%) of 97 eyes without cystoid spaces or subretinal fluid. The macular edema was spontaneously resolved in five (45.5%) of 11 cases at 3-month visit.

CONCLUSIONS

SD-OCT may be helpful in predicting the development of macular edema, although the macular edema rarely developed after single-session pattern scan laser PRP and was spontaneously resolved in many cases.