Vivien Cherng-Hui Yip1, Augustinus Laude1, Kara Anne Tan2, Jianbin Ding3, Elizabeth Wong1, Rupesh Agrawal1,2,3. 1. 1 National Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. 2. 2 Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. 3. 3 Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study the structural changes in the choroid of diabetic patients following cataract surgery, using choroidal vascularity index and choroidal thickness. METHODS: A prospective case-control study was conducted in 18 diabetic and 18 non-diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery (phacoemulsification) in one eye. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography images were obtained before and after surgery. Niblack's image binarization of images was performed to derive the choroidal vascularity index. Independent sample T-test compared the differences of choroidal vascularity index and choroidal thickness between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. RESULTS: The baseline choroidal vascularity index was significantly lower in diabetic patients for both operated (mean difference vs non-diabetic: 0.0184, 95% CI: 0.004-0.0324, p = 0.012) and non-operated (mean difference vs non-diabetic: 0.0145, 95% CI: 0.003-0.0256, p = 0.012) eyes. Choroidal thickness increased following cataract surgery (diabetes: mean difference = 12.4, 95% CI: 0.70-24.0, adjusted p = 0.036; non-diabetic: mean difference = 21.0, 95% CI: 4.39-37.6, adjusted p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Diabetic patients have reduced choroidal vascularity index than non-diabetic patients, suggestive of possible reduction in choroidal vascularity in diabetes. Choroidal thickness increased following cataract surgery in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE: To study the structural changes in the choroid of diabeticpatients following cataract surgery, using choroidal vascularity index and choroidal thickness. METHODS: A prospective case-control study was conducted in 18 diabetic and 18 non-diabeticpatients undergoing cataract surgery (phacoemulsification) in one eye. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography images were obtained before and after surgery. Niblack's image binarization of images was performed to derive the choroidal vascularity index. Independent sample T-test compared the differences of choroidal vascularity index and choroidal thickness between diabetic and non-diabeticpatients. RESULTS: The baseline choroidal vascularity index was significantly lower in diabeticpatients for both operated (mean difference vs non-diabetic: 0.0184, 95% CI: 0.004-0.0324, p = 0.012) and non-operated (mean difference vs non-diabetic: 0.0145, 95% CI: 0.003-0.0256, p = 0.012) eyes. Choroidal thickness increased following cataract surgery (diabetes: mean difference = 12.4, 95% CI: 0.70-24.0, adjusted p = 0.036; non-diabetic: mean difference = 21.0, 95% CI: 4.39-37.6, adjusted p = 0.011). CONCLUSION:Diabeticpatients have reduced choroidal vascularity index than non-diabeticpatients, suggestive of possible reduction in choroidal vascularity in diabetes. Choroidal thickness increased following cataract surgery in both diabetic and non-diabeticpatients.