Objective: The purpose of the study is to report the efficacy of laser photocoagulation treatment for macular edema in bilateral juxtafoveal telangiectasis (BJT).
Design: The study design was a retrospective, clinical study.
Participants: The authors observed 14 patients with BJT, studying the visual acuities and retinal changes of treated and untreated eyes.
Main outcome measures: Visual acuity, presence of macular edema, and associated retinal findings were measured.
Results: Of 28 eyes, 10 (8 patients) received 15 laser photocoagulation treatments for macular edema. Neither treated nor untreated eyes had visual improvement of two or more lines. After treatment, five eyes (50%) had increased retinal vascular distortion develop, three (30%) had new draining retinal venules, five (50%) had intraretinal fibrovascular tissues, and four (40%) had retinal and preretinal hemorrhages develop.
Conclusions: Grid laser photocoagulation therapy for macular edema in patients with BJT appears to neither improve nor stabilize long-term visual acuity. In addition, treatment is associated with retinal pigment epithelial changes, increased postoperative retinal vascular distortion, postoperative vascularized retinal scars, and postoperative retinal hemorrhages. These changes, however, do not appear to cause a further loss of vision.