title: The effect of patient characteristics on response to focal laser treatment for diabetic macular edema.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to determine which patient characteristics influence response to focal photocoagulation for clinically significant diabetic macular edema (CSME).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review was performed of 547 eyes from 361 patients who were observed for at least 1 year (mean, 2.6 +/- standard deviation 1.7 years) after surgery. Preoperative patient characteristics were tested for their significance in predicting outcome using multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increasing patient age has a negative effect on visual outcome (P = 0.0179). Patients with diet-controlled diabetes show improvement in mean vision, whereas patients whose diabetes is controlled with insulin, oral agents, or both show declines, and these differences are significant (P < 0.0001). Neither cataract surgery before or after focal photocoagulation nor simultaneous panretinal photocoagulation for patients having concomitant high-risk proliferative retinopathy had a significant effect on outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger patients with CSME and those with diet-controlled diabetes can be given more favorable prognoses. Patients with CSME and high-risk proliferative disease can have cost-effective simultaneous focal and panretinal photocoagulation without adversely affecting visual outcome.
authors.affiliation: Charlotte Eye Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates, NC 28204, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Browning
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Benfield
authors.forename: A Q
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004487:Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity