Early panretinal photocoagulation for the treatment of ischemic central retinal vein occlusion

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of treating ischemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) with early panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Methods: 24 eyes of 24 cases suffered from ischemic CRVO with history shorter than 3 months were included in this study. PRP treatments were completed through 3 to 5 times of laser therapy with total laser burns of 1000 to 2000 (mean 1505±384). Patients were followed up 3 months to 2 years, mean 18.4±8.0 months. The neovascularization regression and visual acuity were compared before and after PRP, also the long-term complications were observed. Results: 3 eyes of iris neovascularization (INV) regressed after PRP and there was no significant difference in visual acuity between prelaser and postlaser. No neovascular glaucoma (NVG) occurred and 2 eyes occurred vitreous hemorrhage during the follow up period. Conclusions: Early panretinal photocoagulation is safe and efficacious in preventing and reducing complications of ischemic CRVO. It can save valuable treatment time for some patients.