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

Abstract 

Purpose: To study the correlation between changes in visual acuity and changes in fixation stability after retinal photocoagulation for diabetic maculopathy. 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 Rodenstock scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Results: No correlation was found between the changes in the quantitative measures of the fixational eye movements (amplitude and retinal area of fixation) and the changes in VA 12 months after retinal photocoagulation. Three patients all with VA<0.31 at baseline 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 during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Changes in fixation stability after retinal photocoagulation are complex but not related to changes in visual acuity.