Choroidal thickness in patients with diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of the study reported here was to assess choroidal thickness (CT) and central macular thickness (CMT) in patients with diabetic retinopathy.Materials and methodsA total of 151 eyes from 80 patients from the retina department of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital who had type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy were studied retrospectively in this cross-sectional research. Patients were divided into three groups: mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema (NPDR), mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with macular edema (DME), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). In addition, 40 eyes of 20 healthy individuals comprised a control group. Choroidal thickness was measured from the posterior edge of the retinal pigment epithelium to the choroid/sclera junction at 500-μm intervals up to 1,500 μm temporal and nasal to the fovea. The CMT measurement was obtained for each eye. Serum hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were measured.ResultsThe study included 191 eyes, comprising 151 eyes of 80 patients and 40 eyes of 20 healthy individuals. Of the 151 patient eyes, 61 had NPDR, 62 had PDR, and 28 eyes had DME. There was no statistically significant difference in age between the groups (P>0.05). In both the PDR and DME groups, the CT was statistically significantly decreased compared with the control group (P<0.001, P<0.001 for the PDR and DME groups, respectively). The mean CMT in the DME group was increased significantly compared with both the NPDR and PDR groups (P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). In all three groups, serum HbA1c levels were found to be increased significantly compared with the control group (P=0.000). We found a statistically weak–moderate negative correlation between central macular and foveal CT (r=−289, P=0.000). There was a statistically strong correlation between CMT and HbA1c levels (r=0.577, P=0.483) and a statistically weak–moderate negative correlation between the central CT and HbA1c levels (r=−0.331, P<0.001).ConclusionDiabetes changes the CT. CT was found to be significantly decreased in the DME and PDR groups.

Effect of intravitreal dexamethasone implant on retinal and choroidal thickness in refractory diabetic macular oedema after multiple anti-VEGF injections

“…Increase of CT was noted as the severity of diabetic retinopathy worsened from mild-to-moderate, from the nonproliferative stage to proliferative stage, 20 and in eyes with DMO compared with those without DMO, 14 whereas significant reduction of CT was found in other studies. 21,22 Regarding the effect of specific treatment on subfoveal CT, a recent study showed that intravitreal triamcinolone injection caused significant reduction of subfoveal CT, whereas such reduction was not observed in those receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF injections. 16 However, another recent study by Yiu et al 23 showed significant decrease of subfoveal CT after multiple anti-VEGF injections.…”

Relationship of Serum HbA1c and Fasting Serum Lipids with Central Macular Thickness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…Unsal et al [16], also found a correlation with diabetic retinopathy stage, macular involvement and the mean HbA1c levels which were 8.2% in the NPDR group, 9.5% in the eyes with PDR, and 9.0% in DME group. Sasaki et al [17], evaluated 74 patient with no DR and 7 patient with only minimal DR and found that HbA1c level (7.2%) was above the normal upper limits.…”

“…Unsal et al [16], observed that the mean CMT (371 µm) in eyes with DME was significantly higher than the eyes with PDR (256 µm) and NPDR (253 µm). In series by Benarous et al [2], the mean CMTs were 236 µm in eyes with DR, 250 µm in eyes with DME, and 301 µm in eyes with CSME while it was only 215 µm in eyes without DR evaluated with time-domain OCT (TD-OCT).…”

Is choroidal thickness related with disease activity and joint damage in patient with rheumatoid arthritis

“…This technique has enabled the birth of a new scientifi c fi eld where the CT is measured to evaluate normal and pathological processes (10). Systemic disorders that affect the vascular structure such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension have been found to also affect the choroid (20,21). The research has also made it possible to more clearly understand the pathology in some ocular disorders such as central serous chorioretinopathy, degenerative myopia and age-related macular degeneration (10 p < 0.05 is signifi cant, CT -choroidal thickness, SFC -subfoveal choroidal thickness, T500 -choroidal thickness at 500 μm temporal to the fovea, T1000 -choroidal thickness at 1000 μm temporal to the fovea, T1500 -choroidal thickness at 1500 μm temporal to the fovea, N500 -choroidal thickness at 500 μm nasal to the fovea, N1000 -choroidal thickness at 1000 μm nasal to the fovea, N1500 -choroidal thickness at 1500 μm nasal to the fovea Tab.…”