Abstract
Purpose:
Purpose: To evaluate the stromal corneal nerves in type 2 diabetic patients.
Methods:
36 eyes of 20 type 2 diabetic patients with more than 20 years after type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnostic were examined with the confocal microscope (Confoscan 4, Fortune Technologies, Italy), a central scan of the total corneal thickness was taken. Corneal stromal nerves morphology and thickness were evaluated by using the Navis v. 3.5.0. Software (NIDEK, Multi-Instrument Diagnostic System, Japan). Nerve thickness was obtained from the mean between the widest and the narrowest portion of each stromal nerve.
Results:
Corneal stromal nerves were observed as linear hiper-reflective structures with widest and narrowest portions in all cases. 50.7 % of corneal stromal nerves showed a regular orientation pattern (vertical, horizontal or oblique), 39.3 % of corneal stromal nerves showed an irregular and tortuous pattern. Mean corneal stromal nerves thickness was 5.2 ± 1.3 microns (range from 3.0 to 8.2 microns).
Conclusions:
Type 2 diabetic patients with more than 20 years after type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnostic showed normal stromal corneal thickness, but some of those with an irregular pattern.
Keywords: 484 cornea: stroma and keratocytes •
550 imaging/image analysis: clinical