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Alteration of choroidal circulation in the foveal region in patients with type 2 diabetes

T Nagaoka, N Kitaya, R Sugawara, H Yokota, F Mori, T Hikichi, N Fujio and A Yoshida

Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa, Japan

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
T Nagaoka MD PhD
Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical College, Midorigaoka Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa, 078-8510, Japan; nagaoka{at}asahikawa-med.ac.jp

Aim: To investigate changes in choroidal blood flow (CBF) in the foveal region in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to determine the CBF in the foveal region in 70 patients with type 2 diabetes and 36 age and sex matched healthy subjects (control group). The patients were classified into three groups: 33 patients (33 eyes) with no diabetic retinopathy (NDR), 20 patients (20 eyes) with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and no macular oedema (NPDR/MO–), and 17 patients (17 eyes) with NPDR and MO (NPDR/MO+). Optical coherence tomography was also used to measure the foveal thickness.

Results: The group averaged CBF values were 13.5 (4.9), 9.4 (2.5), 10.8 (4.8), and 5.6 (2.0) (arbitrary units) in the control, NDR, NPDR/MO–, and NPDR/MO+ groups, respectively. The group averaged CBF values in the NDR group decreased (30.2%; p<0.01) compared with the control group. The average CBF value in the NPDR/MO+ group was also significantly lower (48.2%; p<0.01) compared with that in the NPDR/MO– group.

Conclusion: The CBF in the foveal region significantly decreases in patients with diabetes, especially those with macular oedema.

Abbreviations: CBF, choroidal blood flow; CBVel, foveolar choroidal blood velocity; CBVol, foveolar blood volume; NDR, no diabetic retinopathy; POBF, pulsatile ocular blood flow; NPDR/MO–, diabetic retinopathy and no macular oedema; NPDR/MO+, diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema; OCT, optical coherence tomography; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor

Keywords: choroidal blood flow; diabetic retinopathy; macular oedema

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