title: Effects of panretinal laser photocoagulation on the corneal nerve plexus and retinal nerve fiber layer in retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) on corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (SBNP) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with unilateral central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) who had previously undergone PRP treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four eyes of 32 patients (19 male, 13 female) with unilateral ischemic type CRVO who had undergone PRP treatment at least 6 months previously were included in this cross-sectional study. The laser scanning in vivo corneal confocal microscope was used to determine corneal SBNP parameters. The peripapillary RNFL thickness was assessed with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Data obtained from the PRP-treated eyes were compared with those of the fellow unaffected eyes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 63.5 ± 10.7 years (range 45-85 years). The mean nerve fiber density (NFD), nerve branch density, and nerve fiber length (NFL) were significantly lower in PRP-treated eyes compared with fellow eyes (p<0.001 for all). Average peripapillary RNFL thickness was significantly lower in PRP-treated eyes than in fellow eyes (p = 0.007). The NFD and NFL showed a modest but significant positive correlation with average peripapillary RNFL thickness (r = 0.310, p = 0.013 and r = 0.272, p = 0.030, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant reductions in corneal SBNP parameters and average peripapillary RNFL thickness were observed in the eyes of patients receiving PRP for the treatment of ischemic CRVO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya - Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulfidan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bitirgen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya - Turkey.
authors.forename: Selman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belviranli
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Doha - Qatar.|Central Manchester University Teaching Hospitals, Foundation Trust and Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester - UK.
authors.forename: Rayaz A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya - Turkey.
authors.forename: Hurkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kerimoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya - Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkagnici
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003315:Cornea / Q000294:innervation*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*