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Quantitative analysis of early retinal vascular changes in type 2 diabetic patients without clinical retinopathy by optical coherence tomography angiography

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the quantitative differences in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) data between type 2 diabetes patients without clinically detectable diabetic retinopathy (DR) and healthy subjects.

Methods

Thirty-nine patients with type 2 diabetes without DR and 41 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. The vessel density and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area in the superficial capillary plexus and deep capillary plexus were measured using Nidek RS-3000 Advance® and compared between patient cohorts. Foveal vessel density (%) and FAZ (%) were also calculated.

Results

A significant decrease in vessel density has been observed in the deep capillary plexus of the patients compared to healthy individuals (5.58 ± 0.98 mm2 versus 6.15 ± 0.89 mm2, p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in other parameters between cohorts (p > 0.05 in all parameters). Despite the decrease of deep capillary plexus density in the macular region, there was no significant change observed in foveal vessel density (p:0.44). It has also been observed that the duration of diabetes mellitus correlates with vessel density decrease in deep capillary plexus (R:–0.52; p < 0.001). In both groups, all parameters in deep capillary plexus were significantly higher than superficial capillary plexus (p < 0.001 for all parameters).

Conclusions

OCTA can identify quantitative changes in DCP before the manifestation of clinically apparent retinopathy. DCP-VD reduction may be an earlier finding than FAZ enlargement. Despite the reduction of VD, FVD could be preserved for a certain period of time in DM patients.

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The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmology Department, Medical School, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey

    Muhammed Altinisik

  2. Ophthalmology Department, Kayseri Acibadem Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey

    Neslihan Sinim Kahraman

  3. Ophthalmology Department, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey

    Emin Kurt, Huseyin Mayali & Ozcan Kayikcioglu

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  1. Muhammed Altinisik
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Correspondence to Muhammed Altinisik.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Manisa Celal Bayar University (Date: 02.05.2018 / No:20.478.486).

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Altinisik, M., Kahraman, N.S., Kurt, E. et al. Quantitative analysis of early retinal vascular changes in type 2 diabetic patients without clinical retinopathy by optical coherence tomography angiography. Int Ophthalmol 42, 367–375 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-022-02230-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-022-02230-8

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