EVALUATION OF ARGON GREEN VS KRYPTON RED LASER FOR PHOTOCOAGULATION OF SUBFOVEAL CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN THE MACULAR PHOTOCOAGULATION STUDY

Objective: To evaluate the risks and benefits of argon-green compared with krypton red laser photocoagulation in the treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Design: Prospective randomized cli nical trial assessing efficacy of laser treatment vs no treatment in t he course of subfoveal CNV. Patients randomly assigned to laser treatm ent were randomly allocated to either argon green or krypton red laser photocoagulation. Scheduled follow-up for periods up to 5 years was p erformed. Setting: Tertiary retinal referral centers. Patients: Indivi duals with age-related macular degeneration and new subfoveal CNV or r ecurrent subfoveal CNV enrolled in the Foveal Photocoagulation Studies of the Macular Photocoagulation Study. Main Outcome Measures: Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, reading speed, persistent and/or recurre nt CNV, and treatment complications. Results: There was no significant difference in average loss of visual acuity or contrast sensitivity f rom baseline levels in eyes treated with either wavelength. From basel ine, eyes treated with argon green laser in the Subfoveal Recurrent CN V Study lost an average of 12 words per minute less than eyes treated with krypton reel laser. Comparable rates of persistent and recurrent CNV were observed in the two laser treatment groups. Focal retinal vas cular narrowing was more common in eyes treated with argon green laser . Conclusions: Small differences in outcomes favored argon-green treat ment of subfoveal CNV, but the only statistically significant differen ce observed between green- and red-laser treatments was a smaller loss of reading speed among argon green-treated eyes in the Recurrent CNV Study. The multiple analyses performed in these two Macular Photocoagu lation Study trials failed to identify any consistent clinically and s tatistically significant differences between green- or red-laser treat ment in the management of eyes with subfoveal CNV.