Treatment of branch retinal vein occlusion with argon laser photocoagulation.

Although temporal branch retinal vein occlusion has, on the whole, a good prognosis, in about 40% of the patients the outcoming vision is markedly changed. The authors used argon laser to treat 15 patients suffering from temporal branch retinal vein occlusion. They analyze their experiences and the results of the treatment of chronic macular edema and neovascularizations with argon laser photocoagulation. In 5 of 7 patients with chronic macular edema, they achieved resorption of the edema within 2 months after photocoagulation. They elaborated their own modification of the laser barrage according to L'Esperance. In more than half the patients, treated for chronic macular edema, the achieved visual acuity was 6/6-6/9, the worst vision was 6/18. In none of the patients a decrease in visual acuity occurred. In the management of neovascularizations of the retina and the disc of the optic nerve, argon laser photocoagulation resulted in involution of the neovascularizations in all 3 patients, vitreous hemorrhage did not occur in any of the eyes. Although the group of the treated patients is only small, the authors consider the treatment of the temporal branch retinal vein occlusion with argon laser photocoagulation to be beneficial.