Clinicopathologic correlation of krypton and argon laser photocoagulation in a patient with a subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane.

Krypton-red laser photocoagulation for choroidal neovascular membranes has been shown to produce inner retinal sparing in contrast to argon blue-green or argon-green laser photocoagulation, which causes full-thickness retinal destruction. However, previous histopathologic reports have involved only primates or humans without known macular degeneration. Clinicopathologic features of a case in which a human eye with a choroidal neovascular membrane, associated with age-related macular degeneration, was photocoagulated on four occasions with the argon-green and krypton-red lasers are presented. The results of this study confirm previous reports of the inner retinal sparing noted with krypton-red laser photocoagulation in comparison with argon blue-green or argon-green laser photocoagulation.