[Neovascular glaucoma--prevention].

PURPOSE

The aim of this paper is to analyse the incidence of neovascular glaucoma on a group of patients treated by laser photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular occlusions.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We have studied a group of 277 patients: 112 male and 165 female with ages between 26 and 83 years. 256 patients had proliferative diabetic retinopathy and 21 patients retinal vascular occlusions with ischemic involvement. All this patients were treated with retinal laser photocoagulation. Follow-up period was between 6 months and 2 years.

RESULTS

Only 3 patients from the entire group treated with laser photocoagulation had developed neovascular glaucoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Prophylactic panretinal photocoagulation is the only method that appears to prevent the neovascular glaucoma and eliminate his devastating complications.