Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the central retinal thickness (RT) measured with Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2, without or with minimal diabetic retinopathy (DRP).
Methods: :
Patients with DM type 2 (n=48), without or with minimal DR (microaneurysms only), seen in the outpatient clinic of the department of ophthalmology of the Academic Medical Center underwent ophthalmic examination, stereo fundus photography, biomicrsoscopy, and SD-OCT. Control subjects (n=40) were age and gender matched. Mean RT in the ETDRS regions, the foveal center (FC), the pericentral region (PCR), and the peripheral region (PR) were compared.
Results: :
Mean RT (± SD) in patients with DR was 229.9µ (±24.5µ) in the FC, 281.6µ (±22.8µ) in the PCR, and 243.2µ (±17.4µ) in the PR, and in patients without minimal DR, 226.3µ (±29.1µ), 288.9µ (17.9±µ), and 252.4µ (±12.0µ). In the controls these values were 241.4µ (±20.7µ), 293.9µ (±13.0µ), and 250.9µ (±10.4µ) respectively. The difference between mean RT in the PCR was significant (p = 0.046) between patients with minimal DR, and controls, as was the difference in RT in the FC between patients without DR and controls (p=0.031).
Conclusions: :
The mean RT in the pericentral region, and in the foveal center of the macula was thinner in diabetic patients with type 2 DM, compared to controls. The thinning of the retina in diabetic patients supports the concept of early retinal neurodegeneration as part of DR.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • imaging/image analysis: clinical