Morphologic parameters of macula and optic nerve head in patients with Type 1 Diabetes mellitus and relation to metabolic control

Abstract

Emine Cinici

Object: To detect differences between the thickness of the central foveal and the retinal nerve fiber layer in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and to detect neurodegenerative effects of diabetes on retina by assessing the effect of hypo-hyperglycemic attack existence. Material and Methods: The children with Type 1 DM who applied to our policlinic with the aim of controlling possible diabetes complications and who had no diabetic retinopathy were prospectively evaluated. The healthy children in the same age group who applied to our policlinic for eye control and who had no systemic or eye disease were included in the control group. The following measurements from each patient were recorded: age, sex, DM period, HbA1C level, hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic attack number and central foveal thickness (CFT), minimum foveal thickness (MFT), parafoveal (ParaFT) and perifoveal thickness (PeriFT), central foveal of inner and outer retina, parafoveal and perifoveal thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in 9 quadrants. OCT DEVICE RTVue version 4.0 (Optovue®, USA) was used in the measurement of retinal and foveal thicknesses. Findings: In the comparison of macula parameters of the study group and control group, there was no difference in terms of central foveal thickness, minimum foveal thickness, parafoveal thickness, perifoveal thickness, central foveal thickness of the inner retina, central foveal thickness of the outer retina, parafoveal thickness of the inner retina, parafoveal thickness of the outer retina, perifoveal thickness of the inner retina, perifoveal thickness of the outer retina values (p>0.05). In addition, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), temporal rim thickness, rim thickness nasal, upper / lower temporal rim thickness and upper / lower nasal rim thickness (p>0.05). Result: In our study, no statistically significant differences were found in the RNFL and macula thicknesses of the patients with Type 1 DM who had no retinopathy compared to the control group. However, it was observed that the parafoveal thickness is related to the level of HbA1C and the period of diabetes.