To study the extent of regression of retinal neovascularisation in proliferative diabetic retinopathy following laser photocoagulation of the ischaemic retina

Eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy have a variable response to treatment with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) or anti–vascular endothelial growth factor agents. We undertook this study to find out what is the exact extent of regression of neovascularisation with PRP and what are the factors that correlate with this variation in response. Present Prospective Study was conducted in Subjects with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy attending the ophthalmology department at ESI-PGIMSR and Model Hospital, Basaidarapur, New Delhi from October 2019-April 2021. During the above-mentioned period a total of 38 eyes of 22 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy were selected for the study. This study was done to evaluate the regression of neovascularisation after panretinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. In our study population, 16 (72.72%) of the subjects were males with age (mean ± SD) 60.00± 4.20 years were more than females 6 (27.27%) with age (mean ± SD) 51.56± 5.41 years. the area of neovascularisation in our patients ranged from 0.42 mm2 to 9.23 mm2 while the area of NVD in our patients ranged from 0 mm2 to 0.8 mm2 and the area of NVE in our patients at baseline ranged from 0.21 mm2 to 8.61 mm2. After 3 months of PRP all the neovascularisations showed regression to a significant extent. 31.58% of PDR eyes shows complete neovascularisation regression while 68.42% shows partial regression which is highly significant. PRP was shown to induce regression of neovascularisation and arrest of progression of diabetic retinopathy. PRP in PDR reduced the risk of severe visual loss. Timely applied laser photocoagulation of the ischaemic retina was effective in causing regression of the already developed neovascularisation and in preventing further development of neovascularisation.