Comparative study to evaluate retinal changes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in diabetics without...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Diabetology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes is a systemic disease with significant ocular complications.
• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss, but early neuro-sensory retinal changes may precede clinical DR.
• Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a key imaging modality for assessing retinal structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate macular neuro-sensory retinal changes in type 2 diabetics without clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy using SD-OCT.
• To compare these retinal changes with those in healthy control subjects.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional observational study involving 220 subjects (440 eyes), equally divided into type 2 diabetics with normal fundus and healthy controls.
• All participants underwent comprehensive eye examinations, including visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp examination, fundus examination, and macular SD-OCT.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.

Main Results:

• SD-OCT revealed significant macular thinning in type 2 diabetics compared to controls.
• Statistically significant thinning was observed in the central subfield, temporal parafoveal, temporal perifoveal, and nasal perifoveal areas of the macula in the diabetic group.
• A significant inter-eye difference in retinal thickness was noted in the nasal and inferior parafoveal regions of the diabetic group.

Conclusions:

• Macular thinning in type 2 diabetics without clinical retinopathy indicates subclinical neuronal damage.
• SD-OCT can detect early retinal alterations in diabetes, potentially aiding in risk stratification and timely intervention.
• These findings highlight the importance of monitoring retinal health in diabetic patients even in the absence of overt retinopathy.