Prevalence of retinopathy in diabetic patients with and without distal sensory peripheral neuropathy

Diabetic Retinopathy is the most common cause of preventable blindness among working-aged group. Diabetic neuropathy is also a common complication of diabetes. As the prevalence of diabetes increases the complications are also increasing. Early detection of DR will significantly reduce the chances of vision loss.

This study was done to assess the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetic neuropathy and in patients without neuropathy.

This is an analytical cross sectional study conducted at the patients attending OPD from January 2016 to November 2016. Total 200 patients who include 100 patients with neuropathy and 100 patients without neuropathy were screened for the presence of DR. presence of distal sensory peripheral neuropathy was diagnosed by using biothesiometry. Ocular examination included best corrected visual acuity, anterior segment examination using slit lamp examination, intra ocular pressure measurement using non contact tonometer. A dilated fundus examination was done with indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp biomicroscopy.

In this study, among the patients without neuropathy 30 percent of the patients had diabetic retinopathy of various stages and among the patients without neuropathy 44 percent of the patients had retinopathy. More advanced forms of the disease were seen in the DSPN group.

This study clearly shows the increased prevalence of DR in patients with DSPN. Patients with DSPN have more severe disease compared with the non neuropathy group. It is also found that CSME is more common in the DSPN group.