Xenon arc and argon laser photocoagulation in the treatment of diabetic disc neovascularization. Part 2. Effect on colour vision.

Patients with long-standing diabetes develop acquired colour vision defects in parallel with retinal vascular changes. This may take the form of an overall loss of hue discrimination or a specific tritan (blue) defect. A battery of colour vision tests can be used to monitor the different features of diabetic retinopathy and to assess the effects of treatment. Diabetic disc new vessels form when approximately a quarter of the retina is ischaemic. The colour vision defect in these patients is usually severe and is frequently tritanopic. The effect of both argon laser and xenon arc panretinal photocoagulation is to increase the severity of the colour defect. All the eyes examined were tritanopic after treatment and did not recover during the 12-month follow-up period. The severity of this acquired colour vision defect can result in practical difficulties for the patient.