Relationship Between Microalbuminuria and Diabetic Macular Edema in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: Determine the relationship between microalbuminuria and diabetic macular edema. Methods: A prospective, transversal, observational and comparative study was performed. It included patients with non proliferative diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy, with and without early diabetic macular edema. Variables studied were presence of diabetes mellitus , hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension background; diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema clinical classification, as well as by OCT and retinal angiography; microalbuminuria, serum creatinin, glycosilated hemoglobin and total cholesterol. Results: 32 patients were studied, 23 with macular edema, and 9 without it; average age was 56.13 years.70% were females(p=0.82); 44% of the patients without macular edema had moderate non proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and 39% and 34% of the patients in the group with macular edema had severe non proliferative diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy respectively (p=0.029); the retinal thickness was greater in the group with macular edema performed by optic coherence tomography with an average thickness of 300.78 um. We found an increased frecuency of microalbuminuria (95.96 mg/day, p=0.028) and serum creatinin (1.97 mg/dL, p=0.010) in the group with macular edema. Conclusions: We found an important metabolic disbalance in most of the patients, and a significant relationship between macular edema and microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria could be used as a risk marker for the development of diabetic macular edema.

Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • clinical laboratory testing • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)