title: Study of Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Thickness in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Using Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic retina undergoes degenerative changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in addition to vascular changes. Loss of RNFL with changes in inner retina and their association with metabolic control have been studied with varied results in diabetic patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the RNFL thickness between diabetic patients and age matched healthy controls and to correlate the thickness to metabolic control.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty five patients were enrolled in the study out of which 50 served as controls, 58 patients were diabetic without retinopathy and 57 patients had diabetic retinopathy. Both eyes of all patients underwent optical coherence tomography scans for RNFL and ganglion cell complex. Foveal and parafoveal thickness were also measured. All the parameters were compared to patient's metabolic control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RNFL thinning was observed in superotemporal (p-value = 0.001) and upper nasal sectors (p-value = 0.031) around the optic disc in eyes with diabetic retinopathy. Ganglion cell complex also showed statistically significant thinning in diabetic patients. Creatinine levels showed a weak negative correlation to the RNFL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study positively concluded that neurodegeneration in an early component of diabetic retinopathy.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University , Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India .
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dhasmana
authors.affiliation: Retina Fellow, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Q, Prakash Netra Kendra , NH2, Vipul Khand IV, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sah
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University , Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India .
authors.forename: Neeti
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; Neurodegeneration; OCT; RNFL thinning