Central Macular Thickness in Diabetic Patients : A Gender Based Analysis

• PURPOSE: To investigate gender differences in central macular thickness (CMT) in underserved diabetic patients who were judged to have clinically significant macular edema (CSME), using the criterion of hard exudates within 1500 microns of the fovea. METHODS: Using EyePACS certified graders, 142 of 2080 diabetic patients from Alameda County, CA, clinics, had CSME as judged from color fundus images (Canon CR6-45NM). Of the 2080 patients, 1784 were imaged with SD-OCT (iVUE). Graders then analyzed the SD-OCT images for hard exudates and macular edema, excluding subjects with poor fixation or other ocular conditions. From these data, 142 patients with CSME, 11 males had CMT >300 microns. The 11 females from the group with the greatest values of CMT were then compared for CMT, and mean age. A control group, diabetic patients without CSME, showed a 12-micron larger CMT for males, as compared with females. Thus, a one-tailed t-test was used to determine if the CMT for males with CSME also was greater than for females by 12 microns. We compared mean age, self-report of duration of diabetes, and HbA1c values between genders. RESULTS: Males with CSME had an average CMT of 377 microns, statistically greater than the 12 micron difference expected between genders, with females averaging 321 microns (p<0.05). There was no statistical significance in the mean age between genders 59.3 vs. 59.2 yr. (p>0.05) or the population HbA1c levels 9.5 vs. 9.3% for males and females (p>0.05), respectively. While females had slightly longer durations of diabetes, Chi square analysis also showed no significance between genders (p>0.05). In the OCT images, males had cysts that were larger and more numerous. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CSME, males had greater CMT than females. This difference is not explained by differences in thickness with gender when CSME is not found, nor by age or duration of diabetes. Instead, the cystic changes in the retinas of males were more striking.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Oftalmologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Ophthalmology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Optometry

Optometri

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