Changes in Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness after Pattern Scanning Laser Photocoagulation in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy

• Published in: Korean journal of ophthalmology Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 220 - 225
• Main Authors: Park, Yi-Ryeung, Jee, Donghyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Ophthalmological Society 01.06.2014; 대한안과학회
• Subjects: Diabetic Retinopathy - pathology; Diabetic Retinopathy - surgery; Disease Progression; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Fundus Oculi; Humans; Laser Coagulation - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Nerve Fibers - pathology; Original; Retinal Ganglion Cells - pathology; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Visual Acuity; 안과학; Diabetic retinopathy; Pattern scanning laser; Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness; Panretinal laser coagulation
• ISSN: 1011-8942; 2092-9382; 2092-9382
• DOI: 10.3341/kjo.2014.28.3.220

To examine the effects of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) using a pattern scanning laser (PASCAL) system on the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with diabetic retinopathy. This retrospective study included 105 eyes with diabetic retinopathy, which consisted of three groups: the PASCAL group that underwent PRP with the PASCAL method (33 eyes), the conventional group that underwent conventional PRP treatment (34 eyes), and the control group that did not receive PRP (38 eyes). The peripapillary RNFL thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography before, six months, and one year after PRP to evaluate the changes in peripapillary RNFL. The RNFL thickness in the PASCAL group did not show a significant difference after six months (average 3.7 times, p = 0.15) or one year after the PRP (average 3.7 times, p = 0.086), whereas that in the conventional group decreased significantly after six months (average 3.4 times, p < 0.001) and one year after PRP (average 3.4 times, p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that the PASCAL system may protect against RNFL loss by using less energy than conventional PRP.