title: Optical coherence tomographic hyperreflective foci in early stages of diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the presence of hyperreflective foci in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients, separately, without clinically significant diabetic macular edema and visual impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Noninvasive, observational prospective study. Seventeen and 19 consecutive Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients (33 and 38 eyes), respectively, were recruited. All patients had no clinically significant diabetic macular edema or visual impairment. Two age- and sex-matched control groups were also included. Patients underwent an ophthalmologic examination including spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Hyperreflective foci were counted considering horizontal B-scan passing through the fovea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On spectral domain optical coherence tomography, patients affected by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes had a mean of 7.5 ± 4.6 and 9.9 ± 4.5 hyperreflective foci, respectively. Subjects of control groups had a mean of 0.9 ± 0.8 and 1.7 ± 1.5 hyperreflective foci, respectively. Hyperreflective foci amount was statistically different between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic groups (P = 0.032) and significantly higher in diabetic patients than in controls (P < 0.001). Hyperreflective foci amount was significantly higher in diabetic patients with a poor quality glycometabolic control (P < 0.001 and P = 0.016) or affected by hypertension (P = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We reported the presence of hyperreflective foci in diabetic patients without diabetic macular edema and visual impairment. This spectral domain optical coherence tomography finding might be a useful marker for the diagnosis and the follow-up in the early stage of diabetic retinopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, University Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: De Benedetto
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sacconi
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pierro
authors.forename: Rosangela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lattanzio
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bandello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult