Diabetes mellitus: a risk factor affecting visual outcome in branch retinal vein occlusion.

Abstract

The prognosis of visual acuity (VA) after branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in patients with diabetes mellitus is unknown compared to the VA in non-diabetic patients with BRVO. The aim of this study was to evaluate the visual outcome of BRVO in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. A retrospective case-control study of diabetic and non-diabetic patients with BRVO was performed. VA and commonly known risk factors and complications of BRVO were compared in a follow-up period of at least 1 year. A total of 28 eyes of patients with diabetes and 49 eyes of non-diabetic patients with BRVO were included. One year after BRVO, the VA in the patients with diabetes decreased significantly more than that of the non-diabetic patients. During the second year after BRVO, the VA did not change significantly in either group. BRVO in patients with diabetes occurs at an earlier age. Diabetic patients needed more outpatient visits. The VA 1 year after BRVO in patients with diabetes is worse compared to the VA in patients without diabetes. The VA stabilizes 1 year after onset in both groups. Diabetic patients tend to need more frequent follow-up in order to treat the sequelae of BRVO.