Clinical Correlation of Conjunctival Vessel Width With Grades of Retinopathy in Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a chronic, progressive, metabolic disorder which is characterised by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar) that can lead to various macrovascular (cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral artery disease) and microvascular (diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) complications. Diabetic Retinopathy is one such complication with high socioeconomic impact. Early diagnosis and timely intervention can prevent its progression to vision threatening complications.
Purpose: to study clinical correlation between conjunctival vessel width with grades of retinopathy in diabetes mellitus.
Materials and Method: 300 eyes of 150 patients of diabetes mellitus of age group 50-70 years were examined between May2020 to July2021. Anterior segment imaging for measurement of conjunctival vessel width and Posterior segment examination for the grading of diabetic retinopathy was done. All findings were noted and statistical analysis of conjunctival vessel width with grade of retinopathy was done.
Results: The average conjunctival (most prominent temporal bulbar conjunctival) vessel width was 27.4μ diabetic with no retinopathy and 32.6μ in mild, 36.8μ in moderate, 40.2μ in severe and 43.9μ in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. With increasing grades of diabetic retinopathy there was increase in conjunctival vessel width (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Conjunctival vessel width positively correlates with increasing grades of severity of diabetes mellitus.