Proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Regression of optic disc neovascularization after retinal photocoagulation.

Photocoagulation is an accepted method of local treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.It has been shown that 73 25 per cent. of eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy have new vessels on the optic disc at the initial visit (Taylor and Dobree, I970).These vessels cannot be treated directly by photocoagulation.Aiello, Beetham, Balodimos, Chazan, and Bradley (I969) treated all grades of proliferative diabetic retino- pathy by multiple choroido-retinal burns using the ruby laser, and in a preliminary communication they reported regression of optic disc neovascularization in some cases.The purpose of this paper is to report the regression of new vessels on the optic disc after extensive retinal photocoagulation. Clinical material and methodThe present series (consisting of 3 I eyes in 25 patients) was taken from a larger group of patients, all of whom have proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and are under regular ophthalmoscopic and photographic review.The cases selected for review all fulfilled the following criteria: (i) There was neovascularization associated both with the retinal veins and with the vessels on the optic disc.(2) The areas of neovascularization associated with the retinal veins had been treated by photocoagulation at one or more sessions.