[The influence of spontaneous posterior vitreous detachment in resolution of diabetic macular edema in NIDDM].

OBJECTIVE

To establish the influence of posterior vitreous detachment on development and resolution of diabetic macular edema in NIDDM. To asses the posterior vitreous detachment role in argon laser treatment of diabetic macular edema.

METHODS

Retrospective study.

RESULTS

68 eyes of 36 patients were involved into the study, 52 eyes (76.5%) with macular edema and 16 eyes (23.5%) without macular edema. Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) was present in 62.5% of cases without macular edema, and only 30.77% of cases had macular edema. Laser treatment applied in accordance to general standards cased resolution of macular edema in all cases with posterior vitreous detachment. In group with no spontaneous posterior vitreous detachment, macular edema resolved only in 19.23% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetic macular edema is less common in eyes with spontaneous posterior vitreous detachment. This observation shows, that not only vascular factor but also vitreo-macular tractions are responsible for macular pathology in diabetic macular edema. The efficacy of standard argon laser treatment depends also on vitreo-macular relation--presence of PVD, and is more sufficient in eyes with posterior vitreous detachment.