Changes in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness after panretinal photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

Context: Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) is the gold standard treatment for high risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Aim: The evaluation of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness changes in eyes undergoing PRP by optical coherence tomography. Materials and Methods: RNFL thickness was measured before PRP, then after PRP by 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Results: Mean peripapillary RNFL thickness increased significantly 1 month after P (P = 0.001), then showed insignificant decrease at 3 months' post-PRP (P = 0.1), then it showed significant decrease at 6 months (P = 0.0001) compared to baseline. Conclusions: PRP should be used with a great caution with least number of shots to avoid excessive damage to inner retinal layers.