Photocoagulation of diabetic macular oedema--complications and visual outcome

PURPOSE: To describe complications and visual outcome of photocoagulation for clinically significant macular oedema. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Evaluation of macular oedema and complications of photocoagulation in 194 eyes, defined as subretinal fibrosis, atrophic creep of the pigment epithelium and subretinal neovascularization was based on stereo fundus photo grading. The study included 25 patients with type 1 and 93 patients with type 2 diabetes (age 32 +/- 10 and 65 +/- 9 years, respectively). The statistical evaluations were based on one eye per patient. RESULTS: Follow-up time was 5.5 +/- 2.4 years (mean +/- SD). Complications within 1/3 ODD from the centre of the macula were seen in 4% (1/23) of eyes of patients with type 1 diabetes, compared to 26% (20/76) of eyes among patients with type 2 diabetes (p=0.02). Hard exsudates before treatment were more common in type 2 than in type 1 diabetic eyes, 70/82 vs. 11/23 (p