[OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY CHARACTERISTICS OF DIABETIC MACULAR OEDEMA]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Diabetology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of vision loss.
• Diabetic retinopathy, particularly with clinically significant macular edema, significantly impacts visual acuity.
• Accurate measurement and characterization of diabetic macular edema are crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure macular thickness in type 2 diabetes patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy and clinically significant macular edema using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
• To identify and classify the morphological characteristics of diabetic macular edema.
• To establish OCT as a gold standard diagnostic tool for diabetic macular edema.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 40 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (aged 40-83).
• Macular area assessment using OCT, measuring central subfield thickness, cube volume, and cube average thickness.
• Classification of diabetic macular edema into diffuse, focal, cystoid, serous macular detachment, and macular traction types.

Main Results:

• Mean central subfield thickness was 509.1 μm, mean cube volume 13.1 mm³, and mean cube thickness 365.1 μm.
• Diffuse diabetic macular edema was the most common type, observed in 55% of patients.
• Other observed types included focal (20%), cystoid (10%), macular traction (10%), and serous macular detachment (5%).

Conclusions:

• OCT provides high-resolution imaging essential for diagnosing diabetic macular edema.
• The study quantified macular thickness and identified the prevalence of different morphological types of diabetic macular edema.
• OCT is confirmed as the gold standard for diagnosing and characterizing diabetic macular edema, aiding in patient management.