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Diabetic Macular Edema (Master thesis)

Τσαρούχη, Δήμητρα/ Tsarouchi, Dimitra

The incidence of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is steadily increasing in the modem Western world. The result of this is the increase in cases of acquired vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy and more specifically to the severe and most common complication of DM, Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). It is well known, that Spectral Domain-OCT is the most sensitive imaging method for the detection and evaluation of diabetic macular edema. With the application of SD-OCT and the translaminar and volumetric imaging of retinal structures, new data have emerged regarding the anatomical and pathophysiological features of the disease, which were previously unknown. Many scientists and authors, based on the new data provided by the SD-OCT technology, have made an effort to derive protocols for the diagnosis, management of DME and determination of severity as well as the creation of automated recognition systems to improve and make clinical practice more valid and faster. In the present literature review, an attempt will be made to analyze the large studies of the last years that utilize SD-OCT in patients with DME, to identify the site of thickening, the type of DME (diffuse or localized), the presence of cystic lesions, intra/subretinal fluid, vitreoretinal tractions and the use of these parameters to derive a disease classification model. A brief report and analysis will also be made of studies that have yielded imaging findings of SD-OCT as biomarkers capable of predicting disease outcome, response to treatment with ANTI-VEGF agents and final visual acuity.