Abstract :
Background: The clinical evaluation of macular edema has been difficult to characterize, but evaluation has become more precise with the help of optical coherence tomography (OCT). This study is undertaken to evaluate the quantitative changes in macular thickness using spectral domain OCT in diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery pre and post operatively and its relation with diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Materials and Methods: Study participants included 65 diabetic patients irrespective of presence or absence of retinopathy who underwent cataract surgery. Each eye underwent fundus examination with indirect ophthalmoscopy and OCT of macula i.e.,preoperatively and at postoperatively at day 1, 1 week, 4 weeks and at 12 weeks. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was recorded at each visit.
Results: The central subfield macular thickness (CSMT) increased in all patients irrespective of presence or absence of diabetic retinopathy of about 17.4±25.3µm and 29µm±38.8 at 1 month and 3 month follow up.
Conclusion: There was a statistically significant increase seen in CSMT after cataract surgery especially in patients with preoperatively diagnosed macular edema. Associated retinopathy also acts as a risk factor. But there was no statistically significant increase in mild and moderate NPDR preoperatively and also in postoperative period after uncomplicated small incision cataract surgery.
Keyword :
BCVA, CSMT, DME, HD OCT.