THE NATIONAL DIABETIC-RETINOPATHY LASER TREATMENT AUDIT - I - MACULOPATHY

The National Diabetic Retinopathy Laser Treatment Audit is a prospecti ve survey of laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy throughout the U nited Kingdom. This paper describes the methodology of the study and p resents data on 546 patients who were undergoing their first photocoag ulation treatment for diabetic maculopathy (without proliferative reti nopathy) during a 2 month period in 1995. Validation of the level of p articipation, patient demographic features, sources of referral, the l evel of systematic screening and waiting times are described. Maculopa thy was detected as a result of systematic screening in 65.2%, whilst 12.3% of cases presented symptomatically. The percentage of cases trea ted within 8 weeks of listing was 83.1%, whilst 7% waited for more tha n 12 weeks for their laser treat-ment. The retinopathy features and th e type of treatment given are also described. The maculopathy was said to be predominantly exudative in nature in 69.8% of cases, and 96.2% of these eyes were treated with focal macular laser. The maculopathy w as said to be diffusely oedematous in nature in 8.6% of cases, and 78. 7% of these eyes were treated with grid macular laser.