Choroidal thickness in patients with diabetic retinopathy

Figures & data

Table 1 Patient characteristics by group

Feature	Control	NPDR	PDR	DME
Total number of eyes	40	61	62	28
Age, years (±SD)	59.8±8.1	60.1±8.5	60.0±8.8	60.8±8.6
Eyes affected, n (right/left)	10/10	35/26	30/32	12/16
Hba1c	4.8±0.2	8.2±1.0	9.5±1.1	9.0±1.0
AS (N/NS/P)	34/5/1	11/38/12	12/31/19	8/13/7

Abbreviations: AS, anterior segment; DME, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with macular edema; HbA_1c, hemoglobin A_1c; N, normal; NPDR, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema; NS, nuclear sclerosis; P, pseudophakia; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy; SD, standard deviation.

Figure 1 Mean choroidal thicknesses in all study groups (μm).

Notes: T500; 500 μm temporal distance from central fovea. T1000; 1,000 μm temporal distance. T1500; 1,500 μm temporal distance. N500; 500 μm nasal distance. N1000; 1,000 μm nasal distance. N1500; 1,500 μm nasal distance.
Abbreviations: DME, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with macular edema; NPDR, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Table 2 The choroidal thickness in healthy individuals and diabetic patient groups in seven different locations

Distance from fovea	Mean choroidal thickness (μm)
	Control group	NPDR group	P-value	PDR group	P-value	DME group	P-value
Fovea	259.1±13.1	235.4±84.5	0.082	203.8±47.6	<0.001	206.8±45.4	<0.001
T500	257.3±13.2	227.3±80.2	0.022	207.4±51.4	<0.001	206.5±46.3	<0.001
T1000	249.5±10.3	228.3±73.6	0.073	204.9±47.9	<0.001	204.0±44.9	<0.001
T1500	244.0±15.2	225.0±80.5	0.145	208.4±47.9	<0.001	203.7±51.2	<0.001
N500	253.4±13.3	231.7±76.2	0.078	203.9±43.9	<0.001	200.0±38.9	<0.001
N1000	245.9±13.1	226.1±77.8	0.114	205.0±43.3	<0.001	195.6±42.2	<0.001
N1500	230.2±14.4	219.3±69.5	0.331	201.7±44.1	<0.001	199.3±42.2	<0.001

Abbreviations: DME, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with macular edema; N500–1500, nasal distances from the central fovea of 500–1,500 μm; NPDR, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy; T500–T1500, temporal distances from the central fovea of 500–1,500 μm.

Figure 2 Representative images of (A) the eye of the control patient; (B) the eye of a patient with mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy; (C) a patient with moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema; and (D) a patient with treated proliferative diabetic retinopathy – note that in this patient there is a disruption in the photoreceptor inner/outer segment junction, probably because of the retinal ischemia.

Figure 3 Central macular thicknesses (CMTs) of patients (μm).

Abbreviations: DME, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with macular edema; NPDR, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Figure 4 Mean HbA_1c values.

Abbreviations: DME, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with macular edema; HbA_1c, hemoglobin A_1c; NPDR, mild–moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy.