ESCRS - PO870 - Evaluation Of Corneal Thickness And Dry Eye In Diabetic Patients Without Diabetic Retinopathy.

Evaluation Of Corneal Thickness And Dry Eye In Diabetic Patients Without Diabetic Retinopathy.

Published 2024 - 42nd Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: PO870 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/2m5q-z787

Authors: Duygu Erdem* 1 , Julide Keles 1 , Sinem Keser 1

1Ophthalmology,Elazig Fethi Sekin City Hospital,Elazig,Türkiye

Purpose

Evaluation of corneal thickness and dry eye in diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy.

Setting

Glaucoma, cataracts, retinal, and ocular surface diseases tend to appear in the early stages of diabetes. The fundamental cause of dry eye in diabetic patients is the reduction in tear secretion due to lacrimal gland dysfunction. Our aim is to compare dry eye, central corneal thickness, central corneal epithelial thickness, BUT, and Schirmer test in diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy with age-matched control groups.

 
 
 
 

 

Methods

Forty patients diagnosed with DM and referred to the ophthalmology clinic were prospectively evaluated. After noting their demographic characteristics, tear production was assessed using Schirmer test and tear film break-up time (BUT) tests for both eyes. Changes in corneal and epithelial thickness were evaluated using a Canon brand OCT device (OCT HS 100- CANON AUSTRALIA). These were compared with a control group of 40 individuals who came to the ophthalmology clinic for a check-up and did not have advanced refractive errors, DM or other diseases that could cause dry eye.

Results

The study included a total of 80 participants, with 40 patients and 40 controls. In the patient group, 47.5% were female and 52.5% were male; in the control group, 57.5% were female and 42.5% were male, with no significant difference observed between them (p=0.370). The average age was 55.3±7.9 years in the patient group and 55.5±7.9 years in the control group, showing no significant difference (p=0.955). The Schirmer (p=0.041) and BUT (p<0.001) values in the patient group were significantly lower than those in the control group. No significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of corneal thickness, epithelial thickness, and superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal values (p>0.05).

Conclusions

The identified cut-off values for Schirmer and BUT tests could serve as potential indicators for detecting tear film abnormalities in diabetic patients without retinopathy, emphasizing the importance of regular ophthalmic evaluations in this population to prevent further ocular complications.