MEASURING MACULAR THICKNESS THROUGH OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND VISUAL ACUITY IN DIABETIC POPULATION OF DISTRICT PESHAWAR: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Objective: To assess central macular thickness (CMT) and visual acuity (VA) using optical coherence tomography in diabetic patients of District Peshawar and to evaluate the relationship between CMT reduction and improvement in VA following treatment.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2023 and April 2025, at the Department of Ophthalmology, MTI-Khyber Teaching Hospital. Participants ranged in age from 35 to 80 and all had diabetes. Prior to and during therapy, subjects had assessments of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) using a Snellen chart, and CMT was measured using Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT). The data was examined using SPSS v25.0, and a significance level of p < 0.05 was used.

Results:; The mean pre-treatment CMT in the right eye was 442.16 ± 88.95 µm and decreased to 391.69 ± 96.46 µm post-treatment (p < 0.001). In the left eye, CMT reduced from 421.79 ± 104.51 µm to 376.53 ± 110.89 µm (p < 0.001). A 1-line or 2-line VA improvement was observed in 62% of patients. Gender differences in VA improvement were not statistically significant (p = 0.447).

Conclusion: Treatment significantly reduced central macular thickness in diabetic patients. Improved VA correlated with decreased CMT, supporting the role of OCT-based monitoring in diabetic maculopathy management.