title: A randomized clinical trial of feeder vessel photocoagulation of sickle cell retinopathy. A long-term follow-up.
abstract: Long-term follow-up of patients enrolled in a randomized prospective trial of feeder vessel photocoagulation for proliferative sickle retinopathy has been completed. Of the 44 patients enrolled in Chicago, nearly a decade follow-up has been achieved on 29 patients (45 eyes). There were 20 control untreated eyes and 25 argon laser-treated eyes. Prolonged loss of visual acuity was rare in both groups. Argon laser photocoagulation has had a sustained effect on reducing the incidence of vitreous hemorrhage and visual loss from vitreous hemorrhage. Nine (45%) of 20 control eyes had vitreous hemorrhage, and it was recurrent in six (66%) of these nine eyes. A single episode was the only hemorrhagic event in the treated eyes. The laser-induced complications of choroidal neovascularization or retinal detachment were not associated with long-term visual sequelae. New sea fan evolution in 47% of study eyes suggests that these patients require long-term surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Sickle Cell Eye Clinic, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gagliano
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rabb
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jampol
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Farber
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008028:Light Coagulation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014823:Vitreous Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery