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Vascular indexes of choroidal layers in diabetic macular edema
Okan Akmaz1, Gokhan Tokac1, Murat Garli1, Merve Cetin1, Miray Karatas1, Yusuf Ziya Guven2, Bora Yuksel1, Tuncay Kusbeci11Department of Ophthalmology, University of Health Sciences, Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Türkiye2Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir Katip Celebi University Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Türkiye
PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the presence of choroidal vascular parameters, which have a predictive value for diabetic macular edema (DME) development, in eyes with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).
METHODS: 148 eyes of 120 patients were included in the study. Eyes with an untreated mild-to-moderate NPDR stage were divided into 2 groups as those with and without DME. The diabetic retinopathy (DR) group was created from the eyes of patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus without DR. Choroidal layers were segmented using the enhanced depth imag-ing mode of spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Choroidal vascular indexes (CVI) of the full-thickness choroid, sattler-choriocapillaris layer, and Haller’s layer were calculated separately.
RESULTS: Full-thickness CVI values of the choroid were 65.2±3.1% in the DR-group, 64.2±3.4% in the DME-group, and 64.8±3.08% in the DME+ group (P = 0.318). The CVI values in the Sattler-choriocapillaris complex were 71.3±4.5% in the DR-group, 70.9±5.9% in the DME-group, and 71.7±5.2% in the DME+ group (P = 0.746). The CVI values in the Haller layer were 61.6±4.1% in the DR-group, 60.3±3.7% in the DME-group, and 61.1±3.1% in the DME+ group (P = 0.252).
CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between NPDR eyes with and without DME and eyes without DR in terms of CVI. These results may suggest that DME develops due to retinal vascular factors rather than choroidal vascular factors.
Manuscript Language: English
