Effect of Argon Laser Panretinal Photocoagulation on Corneal Endothelial Cell Density .

Assiut University

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Panretinal Photocoagulation

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07157553

argon laser photocoagulation

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates the effect of argon laser panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) on the corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) by comparing ECD measurements before and after PRP treatment.

Full description

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is characterized by abnormal neovascularization driven by ischemic retinal tissue hypoxia and elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. Argon laser retinal photocoagulation (ALRP) is a standard treatment that applies thermal damage to the retinal pigment epithelium, reducing retinal oxygen demand and VEGF production, thereby causing regression of neovascular vessels. However, the laser light must pass through the anterior eye structures, potentially causing thermal and inflammatory damage to tissues such as the corneal endothelium, which is crucial for maintaining corneal transparency. This prospective observational clinical study conducted at Assuit University Hospital evaluates the impact of ALRP on corneal endothelial cell density using specular microscopy before, 1 week, and 1 month after PRP treatment in newly diagnosed PDR patients. Secondary outcomes include changes in cell morphology such as hexagonality and coefficient of variation, indicative of endothelial cell health and stability.

Enrollment: 45 estimated patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients from either sex with any age newly diagnosed PDR requring PRP .

Exclusion criteria

• history of corneal disease
• previous intraocular surgery
• glaucoma or intraocuar inflamation .

Trial design

45 participants in 1 patient group

The study population consists of 45 newly diagnosed patients of any age or sex with proliferative di

Description:

The inclusion criteria cover patients irrespective of age or sex who are newly diagnosed with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and are indicated for argon laser panretinal photocoagulation. Exclusion criteria include any history of corneal disease, previous intraocular surgeries, glaucoma, or intraocular inflammation to reduce confounding factors affecting corneal endothelial measurements. This helps to ensure that changes detected in corneal endothelial cell density and morphology are primarily attributable to the laser intervention rather than underlying ocular comorbidities. The sample size calculation determined that 45 patients would provide sufficient power to detect statistically significant changes, analyzed using paired t-tests and ANOVA for repeated measures.