Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate association of vitreoretinal abnormalities and visual acuity in eyes with diabetic macular edema.
Methods: :
219 eyes with good quality digital Stratus OCT scans at 2 visits (baseline and 6 months) were analyzed from a DRCRnet cohort study of diabetic macular edema study treated by vitrectomy. The presence of partial or complete posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), epiretinal membrane (ERM), retinal traction and distortion (TRD), and macular holes were evaluated on a categorical scale - absent, questionably present, and present. When present, the extent of retinal traction and location of ERM was documented.
Results: :
The following morphological variables were present at baseline; partial or complete PVD 92 eyes (44%), ERM 117 eyes (56%), macular hole 3 eyes (1%), and TRD 56 eyes (26%). Post vitrectomy visit, 30 eyes had persistence of ERM (27%), 2 eyes with retinal traction (1%). Median retinal thickness at baseline and follow up were 412 and 278 microns respectively. Median visual acuity at baseline was 57 letters (25th - 75th percentile 45 - 66) and at 6 months median VA was also 57 letters (25th - 75th percentile 44 - 96). Multivariate analysis of the change in visual acuity (VA) between visits showed a correlation with VA at baseline (p<0.001). Other factors like retinal thickness and presence of VRIA at baseline did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions: :
Post vitrectomy visual outcome in eyes with diabetic macular edema did not appear to be dependent upon the location and extent of vitreoretinal interface abnormalities as seen on OCT at baseline.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • visual acuity • imaging/image analysis: non-clinical