Comparative Study of the Central Corneal Thickness in Healthy Individuals and Diabetic Patients with and without Retinopathy using Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

hronic hyperglycemia in DM causes different morphologic and functional corneal changes. Irregular thickening of the basement membrane. In addition, ECD of the cornea is reduced. Furthermore, corneal endothelial cells show polymorphism with more polymegathism and a smaller rate of hexagonality in DM. A dysfunction of corneal epithelial and endothelial cells is assumed, which might cause alteration of corneal hydration control with corneal swelling and edema. Stromal alterations including changes of the corneal ground substance by protein glycosylation, accumulation of AGEs and AGE-induced higher crosslinking of corneal collagen fibrils and proteoglycans. These various corneal alterations in DM might influence the corneal thickness which might be increased in DM. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the characteristics of the CCT in patients with DM and to compare them with those of healthy subjects controls. 45 eyes of 45 subjects were included and divided into three groups Group A included 15 eyes of diabetic patients without DR. Group B included 15 eyes of diabetic patients with DR and Group C which included 15 eyes of non diabetic subjects. All subjects underwent full ophthalmological examination and