Clinical Trials and the Practice of Ophthalmology

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

In recent years, ophthalmologists have grown accustomed to clinical trials that demonstrate therapeutic benefit. The first major eye trial in recent years was the Diabetic Retinopathy Study,1which reported in 1976 that scatter laser photocoagulation was effective in reducing the risk of loss of vision in eyes with proliferative retinopathy. In 1982, the Macular Photocoagulation Study (MPS) Group2announced that prompt argon laser photocoagulation of neovascular membranes (NVMs) outside the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) reduced the risk of severe loss of vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). See also p 1299. In 1983, the MPS Group3reported similar findings for treatment of eyes with ocular histoplasmosis and new vessels outside the FAZ. Also in 1983, the Proliferative Sickle Cell Retinopathy Trial4reported that feeder vessel photocoagulation reduced the incidence of vitreous hemorrhage and subsequent loss of vision, and the Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Trial5