To obtain pilot information regarding possible benefits of photocoagulation grid treatment for macular edema secondary to nonischemic central retinal vein occlusion, records were reviewed for patients who demonstrated well-documented prompt improvement in edema after treatment. In each of the five selected patients who demonstrated this association, macular edema had been present for a minimum of 6 months. Also, preoperative visual acuity was 20/60 or less, good macular capillary perfusion was present on the fluorescein angiogram, and substantial reduction of edema was demonstrated on clinical examination and by decreased leakage and late staining on fluorescein angiography within 8 weeks following treatment. Postoperative visual acuity either improved or remained unchanged for each eye. These results indicate that, in certain eyes, grid photocoagulation can lessen macular edema, thus supporting the rationale for a randomized clinical trial to determine possible benefits of this therapy.