Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the retinal thickness (RT) measured with the StratusOCT in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1, with or without minimal diabetic retinopathy (DRP) and to correlate this to parameters of metabolic control.
Methods: :
Patients with DM type 1, with or without minimal DRP on biomicroscopy or on fundus photography, seen at the outpatient clinic of the department of internal medicine at the AMC were included and underwent a full ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography and OCT scanning of the macula. Mean RT measurements of the pericentral ring (Area 2–5) and the peripheral (Area 6–9) ring in patients with minimal DRP were compared with RT measurements in normal subjects (n=28) and patients without DRP. Parameters of metabolic control (HbA1c, cholesterol, triglycerides, TSH, creatinine clearance, blood pressure) were recorded simultaneously and related to the RT measurements.
Results: :
Fifty–two patients were included in the study, of which 29 had no signs of DRP and 23 showed minimal DRP. Mean pericentral ring RT was 278µ (± 16µ) in patients without DRP and 268µ (± 19µ) in patients with minimal DRP compared to 281µ (± 13µ) in normal subjects. There was a significant difference (p–value=0,008) in pericentral RT between the patients with minimal DRP compared to our normative value. No significant difference was found in the RT in the peripheral ring. No correleation was found between RT measurements of the patients and any of the metabolic parameters.
Conclusions: :
In contrast to literature we could not demonstate an increased retinal thickness of the pericentral area in patients with DM type 1 with no or minimal DRP. Instead we found a decreased pericentral RT in patients compared to normal subjects, which could be explained by the loss of intraretinal neurons in the earliest stage of DRP.
Keywords: diabetes • imaging/image analysis: clinical • retina