ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Macular edema is responsible for a significant degree of visual loss in diabetic patients. The prognosis factors in diabetic macular edema are varied and better documented by optical coherence tomography (OCT). We describe the patterns of diabetic macular edema demonstrated by OCT and correlate them with visual acuity. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A prospective study of 297 eyes with diabetic macular edema was conducted. An OTI/OCT exam was done for all eyes. The Fisher test was used to search for a correlation between visual acuity and each feature of diabetic macular edema (macular thickness, cystoid macular edema, central cyst, tractional component, and serous retinal detachment). RESULTS: Visual acuity varied from 1.3 log MAR to 0 log MAR. The mean visual acuity was 0.51 log MAR. The presence of central cyst on OCT scan was significantly associated with worse vision (p<0.0001). Increased retinal thickness in all patterns was significantly correlated with worse visual acuity (p<0.0001). The OCT patterns containing a tractional component and serous retinal detachment were also associated with visual loss (p<10(-6)). CONCLUSION: OCT is a very useful objective tool to describe, classify, and manage diabetic macular edema. It provides a better analysis of different prognosis factors and therefore can assist in determining a more suitable treatment for diabetic macular edema.