title: Subthreshold Micropulse Photocoagulation for Persistent Macular Edema Secondary to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion including Best-Corrected Visual Acuity Greater Than 20/40.
abstract: To assess the efficacy of subthreshold micropulse diode laser photocoagulation (SMDLP) for persistent macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) > 20/40, thirty-two patients (32 eyes) with macular edema secondary to BRVO were treated by SMDLP. After disease onset, all patients had been followed for at least 6 months prior to treatment. Baseline Snellen visual acuity was used to categorize the eyes as BCVA ≤ 20/40 (Group I) or BCVA > 20/40 (Group II). Main outcome measures were reduction in central macular thickness (CMT) in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and BCVA at 6 months. In the total subject-pool at 6 months, BCVA had not changed significantly but CMT was significantly reduced. Group I exhibited no significant change in CMT at 3 months but exhibited significant reductions at 6 and 12 months. Group II exhibited a marginally significant reduction in CMT at 3 months and a significant reduction at 6 months. In patients with persistent macular edema secondary to BRVO, SMDLP appears to control macular edema with minimal retinal damage. Our findings suggest that SMDLP is an effective treatment method for macular edema in BRVO patients with BCVA > 20/40.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan ; Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan.
authors.forename: Kishiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohkoshi
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology, St. Luke's Life Science Institute, 10-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohde
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology, St. Luke's Life Science Institute, 10-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Gautam A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ebihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murakami