In the study diffraction of a plane wave with a wavelength of 532 nm is modeled, when the wave passes through plasma cylinders with micrometer-sized diameters of 1, 5, and 10 mu m. To calculate wave diffraction, three independent methods are employed, which are based on the geometrical optics approximation, the first Rytov approximation, and a representation of the wave field as a series of cylindrical functions. Key limitations to the validity of these methods are discussed together with the accuracy of the computed solutions. The solution of the diffraction problem in the first Rytov approximation is shown to have a wider scope within which this approximation provides reliable results for describing wave diffraction by a plasma formation.