Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the relationship between the macular ischemia and the visual acuity in patients with diabetic macular edema.
Methods: :
Sixty-two eyes from 37 patients diagnosed of diabetic macular edema and with transparent media were included in the study. A comprehensive ophthalmologic examination was carried out. All patients underwent a digital high resolution fluorescein angiography with a non-flash blue laser (488nm) confocal ophthalmoscope (SPECTRALIS HRA2+OCT). Consecutively, a Spectral-Domain OCT with active eye tracking was performed. The OCT data obtained included foveal thickness, macular volume and the disruption of the foveal photoreceptor layer. The ischemia was quantified with a computer-assisted image analysis software. Data from one eye of each patient were assessed with Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis.
Results: :
Visual acuity was correlated significantly only with the disruption of the foveal photoreceptor layer (P = ,022, r= - 0,397). The macular ischemia was strongly correlated with the disruption of the foveal photoreceptor layer (P = ,013, r = 0,428), but not with the macular volume, nor with the foveal thickness.
Conclusions: :
The macular ischemia was positively correlated with the disruption of the foveal photoreceptor layer, independently of the macular volume or the foveal thickness.
Keywords: diabetes • edema • ischemia