A preliminary observation on rod cell photobiomodulation in treating diabetic macular edema

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of photobiomodulation (PBM) in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: It was a single-center, self-controlled prospective study. The clinical records of 12 diabetic retinopathy patients (5 males and 7 females, 20 eyes in total) who were treated with PBM for DME at the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were analyzed. The mean age was 56 (26–68) years. All the participants received PBM treatment during darkness at night in no less than 5 days per week and no less than 8 ​h per day. In the baseline check and follow-up checks (1, 2, 6, 10, and 12 months after the start of treatment), the best-corrected visual acuity, the thickness of the retina in the macula, and the changes of the fundus lesions were observed. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the results before and after treatment. P ​ ​0.05) from the baseline result, except that in the 6th month (P ​= ​0.049). Obvious improvement could be observed in retinal fundus fluorescein angiography images. Conclusions: PBM is a safe and effective treatment of DME, which deserves further investigation.

Keywords

• Dark adaptation
• Diabetic macular edema
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Photobiomodulation
• Rod cells