Internal ophthalmoplegia after argon laser panretinal photocoagulation
G. D. Rogell
Internal ophthalmoplegia was found in eight eyes of four patients with
juvenile-onset diabetes. All eight eyes had received argon laser panretinal
photocoagulation (PRP) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Internal
ophthalmoplegia was not found in any of the 14 eyes of seven patients with
juvenile diabetes who had not had photocoagulation treatment. This group
included one patient in whom internal ophthalmoplegia was present after
treatment. Laser injury to the short ciliary nerves, as they course
anteriorly on the inner surface of the sclera, is the probable cause of
internal ophthalmoplegia in these patients. To my knowledge, this
complication has not been reported previously, but it appears to be a
common side effect of PRP.
