Lack of correlation between visual acuity and fixation stability after photocoagulation for diabetic maculopathy

Purpose: To study the correlation between changes in visual acuity and chan ges in fixation stability after retinal photocoagulation for diabetic macul opathy. Material Twenty-four patients with diabetic maculopathy and visual acuity (VA) ranging between 0.05-0.77 were studied at baseline and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after retinal photocoagulation. Fixational eye movements were quantified from video recordings of the ocular fundus; obtained with the R odenstock scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Results: No correlation was found between the changes in the quantitative measures of the fixational eye move ments (amplitude and retinal area of fixation) and the changes in VA 12 mon ths after retinal photocoagulation. Three patients all with VA<0.31 at base line had the fixation centre located more than 3 deg from the centre of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) at one or more of the follow-up examinations, and one of these patients used three different locations of fixations durin g the follow-up period. Conclusion. Changes in fixation stability after ret inal photocoagulation are complex but not related to changes in visual acui ty.