Short-pulse Subthreshold vs Infrared Micropulse for Diabetic Macular Edema

When applied according to manufacturer recommendations, short-pulse system may yield more temporary reduction in edema while infrared micropulse system may yield slightly better functional outcomes.

Purpose: To assess both anatomic and functional outcomes between short-pulse continuous wavelength and infrared micropulse lasers in the treatment of DME.

Materials and Methods: A prospective interventional study from tertiary care eye hospital - King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Patients with center-involving diabetic macular edema were treated with subthreshold laser therapy. Patients in the micropulse group were treated with the 810-nm diode micropulse scanning laser TxCell™ (IRIDEX Corporation, Mountain View, CA, USA). Laser was applied according to manufacturer recommendations for MicroPulseTM in a confluent mode (low intensity/high density) to the entire area of the macular edema. Patients in the short-pulse group were treated with grid pattern laser with 20ms pulse PASCAL laser 532nm (TopCon Medical Laser Systems, Tokyo, Japan) with EndPoint algorithm, which was either 30% or 50% of testing burn. Main outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and foveal thickness at baseline and the last follow-up visit.