Ultrawide-Field Swept-Source OCTA in Detecting Retinal and Choroidal Microcirculation Changes in Diabetes Patients...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Diabetology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) causes significant visual impairment.
• Early detection and prevention strategies are crucial for managing diabetes-related eye complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate fundus microcirculation changes in diabetic patients without clinical DR.
• To establish a basis for early DR prevention and detection.

Main Methods:

• Compared 162 diabetic eyes (no DR) with 108 healthy eyes.
• Utilized ultrawide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (UWF-SS-OCTA) to measure retinal and choroidal parameters.
• Analyzed foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and vessel density in superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and large and middle choroidal vessel (LMCV) layers.

Main Results:

• Diabetic patients exhibited a larger FAZ compared to controls.
• Reduced vessel density was observed in SCP, DCP, full retina, and LMCV layers in diabetic patients.
• Microvascular changes were more pronounced with longer diabetes duration (>15 years).

Conclusions:

• Diabetic patients experience decreased retinal and choroidal microcirculation before clinical DR onset.
• These microcirculatory changes are progressive and correlate with disease duration.
• Regular fundus examinations are recommended for early DR detection and prevention in diabetic individuals.