Dr. P. Siva Reddy Oration. Diabetic keratopathy

Diabetes mellitus, which affects millions of people all over the world, produces significant ocular morbidity. Corneal complications such as tear film dysfunction, elevated glucose in tears, different forms of epitheliopathy, neurotrophic ulcers, corneal edema, wrinkles in Descemet's membrane and decrease in corneal sensitivity have been reported. While a few reports described altered epithelial morphology as the possible basis for epithelial disease, all other clinical phenomena have been unexplained thus far. In this first-ever multifaceted approach to study the pathogenesis of diabetic keratopathy, striking abnormalities were observed in corneal nerves, corneal epithelium and corneal endothelium of diabetics. We have clearly demonstrated the existence of neuropathy in diabetic cornea, both in an animal model and in the humans, -- the first demonstration of such an abnormality. Our in vivo specular microscopic observations on epithelium confirmed in vitro observations in our study as well as of others while the analysis of endothelium provided the basis for the problems noticed in the diabetic cornea following intraocular surgical procedures. Our observations should help the clinician in the understanding of diabetic keratopathy and in developing better prophylactic and therapeutic strategy against some recalcitrant forms of corneal disease in this group of individuals.