Preliminary OCT Findings: Macular Thickness in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, With or Without Minimal Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

 

Purpose:

 

To evaluate the central retinal thickness (RT) measured with the StratusOCT in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2, with or without minimal diabetic retinopathy (DRP).

 

Methods:

 

Patients with DM type 2, with or without minimal DRP on biomicroscopy, were included and underwent a full ophthalmologic examination, including best corrected visual acuity, slitlamp examination, fundoscopy, (redfree) fundus photography and OCT scanning of the macula. Mean RT measurements of the fovea, pericentral ring and the peripheral ring (see figure) in the patients were compared with RT measurements in healthy, sex and age-matched subjects (n=10).

 

Results:

 

Seventeen eyes of ten patients were included in the study. Fundus photography showed either no abnormalities or only few microaneurysms in the posterior pole. Mean (± SD) RT in patients was 198µ (± 29µ) in the fovea, 261µ (± 17µ) in the pericentral ring and 227µ (± 12µ) in the peripheral ring. In the control group these values were 206µ (±18µ), 276µ (± 10µ) and 239µ (± 13µ) respectively. There was a significant difference (p-value = 0.02) in pericentral RT between DM patients and our healthy subjects.

 

Conclusions:

 

Previous studies demonstrated an equal or increased RT in patients with DM type 2 with or without minimal DRP, compared to healthy subjects. In contrast, we found that pericentral RT in patients seems decreased compared to healthy subjects. This could be explained by loss of intraretinal neurons in the earliest stage of DRP.  

 

Keywords: retina • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • diabetes