OBJECTIVE To compare the histological alteration of retina with various spot intensities between diode and argon lasers in order to instruct the clinical use of 810 nm diode laser. METHODS Transpupillary retinal photocoagulations were performed on 42 eyes of 27 pigmented rabbits. Histopathologic alteration of lesions in different intensities and different time intervals after irradiation produced by diode and argon laser was observed and compared using light microscopy. Areas of various lesions measured by image analysis system (CMIAS) were compared quantitatively. RESULTS Histopathologically, two-week-old grade 2 lesions produced by diode laser induced the disappearance of outer nuclear cells. More than a half of all showed reduction in number of outer nuclear layer cells in argon. Fibroblasts appeared in the diode grade 3 lesions 5 days after irradiation. CMIAS data showed that all the areas of diode lesions immediately after photocoagulation were to be larger than those of argon laser lesions in the same spot intensity (P < 0.05). However, twenty-four hours after photocoagulation, the area of the diode lesions increased less than that of the argon laser lesions (8% vs. 23%). CONCLUSIONS The acute histological effect caused by 810 nm diode laser and argon green laser is similar, while the expansion of lesion area 24 hours after photocoagulation was less with the diode laser compared to the argon. This may be the first report in the literature regarding quantitative analysis of the delayed reaction of argon green lasers.