title: Photocoagulation of diabetic maculopathy.
abstract: A comparative analysis of the efficiency of the two current techniques of the focal photocoagulation: the focal macular perifoveolar and the focal extramacular technique in the treatment of diabetic maculopathy was performed. The study included 92 insulin non-dependent diabetics with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, divided into two groups. The assessment of the results has been carried out on the basis of the changes in the visual acuity 12 months after the argon laser treatment. There has been a statistically significant difference in the effects of the focal macular perifoveolar treatment and the focal extramacular treatment on the visual acuity. It has been improved for two or more lines on the Snellen chart, to which difference has contributed the significantly lesser worsening of the visual acuity as a result of the focal macular perifoveolar treatment (p < 0.05). The mean visual acuity following the focal extramacular treatment has shown a statistically non-significant decrease (p < 0.05), practically with no change at all, but the mean visual acuity following the focal macular perifoveolar treatment has shown a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.01). It has been established that the focal macular perifoveolar treatment shows better results than the focal extramacular treatment in the treatment of diabetic maculopathy. This has been established by checking the visual acuity a year after the treatment had been completed. This leads to the conclusion that this treatment is preferable in everyday work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Centre, Firule, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ivanisević
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008266:Macula Lutea; D008875:Middle Aged; D014792:Visual Acuity