Subfoveal choroidal thickness in diabetic macular edema

To evaluate subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) using spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT). Ninety eyes were divided into three equal groups: group A, non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) with no DME; group B, NPDR having DME; and group C, non-diabetic patients. The central subfield retinal thickness (CSRT) and SFCT were measured using spectral domain OCT. There was a moderate negative correlation between age and SFCT in group B ( =-0.455, =0.012). We found no significant correlation between best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and SFCT in all groups (for groups A, B, and C, respectively: =0.189, =0.316; =-0.195, =0.302; and =-0.181, =0.337). There was no significant correlation between duration of diabetes and SFCT ( =-0.118, =0.534 and =-0.136, =0.475 for groups A and B, respectively). The CSRT was 229.13±16.2, 336.4±74.85, and 223.13±16.9 µm in groups A, B, and C, respectively. The mean SFCT was 260.6±49.2, 259±50.8, and 252±50 µm in groups A, B, and C, respectively. We found no significant correlation between CSRT and SFCT in all groups (for groups A, B, and C, respectively: =-0.049, =0.796, =0.239, =0.204, =-0.021, =0.914). There was no significant difference in SFCT between group B (DME) on one hand and groups A and C on the other hand ( =0.9 and 0.59, respectively). There is no significant correlation between CSRT and SFCT in DME. Choroidal thickness assessment is not an indicator of the severity of DME and cannot be used as a monitor of its progression.