Microstructural changes of the macula in diabetic patients with and without mild diabetic retinopathy

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of diseases characterized by hyperglycemia due to an absolute or relative lack of insulin production or action. Extreme organ dysfunction, caused by chronically elevated blood glucose levels, affects the heart, kidneys, nervous system and retina.Aim: The aim of this article is to compare the macular retinal thicknesses and volume in patients with DM with and without mild diabetic retinopathy (DR) and healthy eyes.Materials and Methods:The people studied, 212 in total, were divided into three groups—healthy controls, diabetics without DR, and diabetics with a mild DR. In our study the ZEISS CIRRUS HD-OCT device was used as well as the Macular Cube 512x128, Macular Thickness Analysis, and Ganglion Cell Analysis protocols were used. We analyzed the thickness of the retina from the inner limiting membrane to the retinal pigment epithelium, as well as the thickness of the ganglion cell layer, and the inner plexiform layer in the macula.Results:A statistically significant difference between the groups was found for the mean and the minimum thickness of the ganglion cell + inner plexiform layer. No significant difference in mean values between patient groups for mean macular cube retinal thickness, foveal retinal thickness, and macular cube volume was found.Conclusion:There is no loss of ganglion cells and a decrease in the thickness of the inner layers of the retina in the macula that precedes the appearance of retinal microvascular damage, and the two processes occur simultaneously.