Abstract
Purpose. To evaluate the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed diabetic macular edema (DME) in Turkey in a real-life setting. Methods. A total of 945 consecutive patients (mean (SD) age: 61.3 (9.9) years, 55.2% male) with newly diagnosed DME were included. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, ocular history, ophthalmic examination findings including type of DME, central macular thickness (CMT) via time domain (TD) and spectral domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT), and planned treatments were recorded. Results. OCT (98.8%) and fundoscopy (92.9%) were the two most common diagnostic methods. Diffuse and focal DMEs were detected in 39.2% and 36.9% of cases, respectively. Laser photocoagulation (32.1%) and antivascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF; 31.8%) were the most commonly planned treatments. The median CMT in the right eye was significantly greater in untreated than in treated patients [376.5 μm (range: 160–840) versus 342 μm (range: 146–999) (p = 0.002)] and in the left eye [370 μm (range: 201–780) versus 329 μm (range: 148–999) (p < 0.001)]. Conclusions. This study is the first large-scale real-life registry of DME patients in Turkey. SD-OCT and fundoscopy were the most common diagnostic methods. Laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF therapy were the most common treatments.
Highlights
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus that affects central vision
Other research reported that the 10-year incidence of DME was 14% in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and progression to DME occurred in 29% of individuals with type 1 diabetes over 25 years if left untreated [6, 7]
Most patients were receiving treatment for diabetes (65.5%), and most were followed by internal medicine clinics (47%)
Summary
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus that affects central vision. The symptoms of DME range from slight visual blurring to complete blindness if left untreated [1, 2]. By the year 2030, 350 million people worldwide will have diabetes [3] and 100 million of them will have DME [4]. The worldwide prevalence of DME was reported as 6.81% among patients with diabetes [5]. DME accounts for the loss of 3 Snellen lines of vision in 24% of eyes within 3 years [8] and in 12% of all new cases of blindness annually [10]. The high prevalence and potential severity of DME point to the need for prompt and effective treatment [11, 12]
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