Article Sidebar
Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
The entire contents of the Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology are protected under Indian and international copyrights. The Journal, however, grants to all users a free, irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual right of access to, and a license to copy, use, distribute, perform and display the work publicly and to make and distribute derivative works in any digital medium for any reasonable non-commercial purpose, subject to proper attribution of authorship and ownership of the rights. The journal also grants the right to make small numbers of printed copies for their personal non-commercial use under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Main Article Content
Initial Experience with the Utility of Infrared Diode Laser in Kaduna, Nigeria
Abstract
Our initial clinical experience with the use of a diode laser in the treatment of some retinovascular conditions and refractory glaucoma in some black patients in Kaduna, Nigeria.
Methods: All the 32 eyes of 26 patients treated with diode laser photocoagulation between September 1997 and September 1999, were studied retrospectively. Patient's eye, sex, eye diagnosis. laser treatment parameters and the intra-operative and post-operative observations were tabulated.
Results: All patients tolerated the laser treatment sessions, although complaints of pain were universal. The follow up observation period ranged from none to one year in this initial study. Eight of 6 patients were treated for proliferative sickle cell retinopathy. Regression of sea fans was observed in all the four eyes (100%) of three patients that were available for follow-up observation. However, a fresh sea-fan neo-vascularisation developed elsewhere in the same retina of one of the treated eyes. Of the 12 eyes of 9 patients with diabetic retinopathy, 6 patients (8eyes) were available for follow up.
Among the later group, all eyes but one (87.5%) had their retinopathy changes stabilised following laser treatment. Two patients with central retina vein occlusion were treated. The only one that was available for follow up was stabilized following treatment. Of the 3 eyes (3 patients) that had retinopexy for flat retina breaks, 2 reported for follow up. Both retina remained attached.
All the 6 patients (7 eyes) with refractory glaucoma who contact diode laser treatment did not have the initial reduction in the intra-ocular pressures sustained subsequently.
Conclusion: Diode laser has been found to be useful in treating a number of retinovascular conditions among the black patients studied. Its initial intra-ocular pressure lowering effect was not sustained in refractory glaucoma. However, the small pool of patients and the limited period of follow up examination in this study call for caution with these conclusion.
KEY WORDS: Diode laser treatment, sickle cell retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, retinopexy refractory glaucoma
[Nig. J. Ophthalmology Vol.10(1): 37-44]
Methods: All the 32 eyes of 26 patients treated with diode laser photocoagulation between September 1997 and September 1999, were studied retrospectively. Patient's eye, sex, eye diagnosis. laser treatment parameters and the intra-operative and post-operative observations were tabulated.
Results: All patients tolerated the laser treatment sessions, although complaints of pain were universal. The follow up observation period ranged from none to one year in this initial study. Eight of 6 patients were treated for proliferative sickle cell retinopathy. Regression of sea fans was observed in all the four eyes (100%) of three patients that were available for follow-up observation. However, a fresh sea-fan neo-vascularisation developed elsewhere in the same retina of one of the treated eyes. Of the 12 eyes of 9 patients with diabetic retinopathy, 6 patients (8eyes) were available for follow up.
Among the later group, all eyes but one (87.5%) had their retinopathy changes stabilised following laser treatment. Two patients with central retina vein occlusion were treated. The only one that was available for follow up was stabilized following treatment. Of the 3 eyes (3 patients) that had retinopexy for flat retina breaks, 2 reported for follow up. Both retina remained attached.
All the 6 patients (7 eyes) with refractory glaucoma who contact diode laser treatment did not have the initial reduction in the intra-ocular pressures sustained subsequently.
Conclusion: Diode laser has been found to be useful in treating a number of retinovascular conditions among the black patients studied. Its initial intra-ocular pressure lowering effect was not sustained in refractory glaucoma. However, the small pool of patients and the limited period of follow up examination in this study call for caution with these conclusion.
KEY WORDS: Diode laser treatment, sickle cell retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, retinopexy refractory glaucoma
[Nig. J. Ophthalmology Vol.10(1): 37-44]
