Optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) is a new method for visualizing the microvasculature of the retina and choroid, which is based on detecting the movement of circulating erythrocytes. Objective: To present OCTA findings in patients with diabetes mellitus with different microvascular changes to diagnose diabetic retinopathy before the onset of clinical signs of the disease, as well as to monitor changes in clinically visible retinopathy, with or without Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). Methods: In this study, OCTA findings were compared in three groups of selected subjects - 5 patients with Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) without DME, 5 patients with NPDR and DME, and 5 patients with diabetes but without NPDR and DME. Results: Patients in all three groups showed decreased vessel diameter (VD) in the foveal, parafoveal, and perifoveal segments of the Superficial Capillary Plexus (SCP) and Deep Capillary Plexus (DCP) and an increase in Foveal Avascular Zone (FAZ). Conclusion: OCT angiography represents a new technique for visualizing and quantifying vascular changes and is increasingly important in the early diagnosis of subclinical retinopathy, as well as in monitoring existing changes in the retina in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.