Macular grid photocoagulation. An experimental study on the primate retina
D. J. Wilson, D. Finkelstein, H. A. Quigley and W. R. Green
Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.
We studied the effect of macular grid photocoagulation on the retinal
vessels, retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and choroid of normal
cynomolgus monkeys. Argon blue-green laser photocoagulation, similar to
that employed for treating macular edema due to branch retinal vein
occlusion, resulted in a decreased retinal capillary area at both one and
five months after treatment. The photoreceptors and retinal pigment
epithelium between laser lesions were altered at three days after
treatment, but their appearance returned to normal by five months. The
significance of these findings is discussed with regard to resolution of
macular edema and improvement in vision following grid photocoagulation.
