Laser photocoagulation of the choroid through experimental subretinal hemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE
To study the differential abilities of diode infrared, krypton red, and argon blue-green laser energies to penetrate experimental subretinal hemorrhage and coagulate the underlying choroid.


METHODS
Autologous, heparinized whole blood was injected beneath the neurosensory retina of pigmented rabbit eyes. After 30 to 60 minutes, confluent patches of moderate or severe diode, krypton, or argon laser burns were applied to adjacent healthy retina and continued into the region of the subretinal hematoma without varying the power setting or focal plane. Histopathologic evaluation of early lesions was performed in a masked fashion, and subretinal hemorrhage thickness was determined with computer-assisted image capture and analysis.


RESULTS
Retina overlying treated subretinal hemorrhage showed no ophthalmoscopically visible signs of photocoagulation with diode energy, a faint gray reaction with krypton energy, and an intense white reaction with argon energy. Histopathologic analysis revealed photocoagulative inner choroidal damage beneath a mean (+/- SD) maximum blood thickness of 0.56 +/- 0.14 mm with severe diode burns, 0.42 +/- 0.09 mm with severe krypton burns, and 0.22 +/- 0.04 mm with severe argon burns.


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that laser penetration of subretinal blood increases with longer wavelengths in vivo. Diode infrared laser energy is capable of penetrating subretinal blood to coagulate the choroid in the absence of ophthalmoscopically visible changes in the overlying retina.
Johnson
M W
MW
W. K. Kellogg Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor.
Hassan
T S
TS
Elner
V M
VM
D000818:Animals; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*