THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Ultrawide-field (UWF) retinal imaging can identify areas of nonperfusion, which are associated with predominantly peripheral lesions (PPLS) in the retina and severity of diabetic retinopathy, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in Ophthalmology.
Paolo S. Silva, M.D., from the Joslin Diabetes Center Beetham Eye Institute in Boston, and colleagues examined whether the presence of peripheral nonperfusion on UWF fluorescein angiography (FA) correlates with diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity, the presence of PPLS in the retina, or both using data from 68 eyes of 37 subjects with diabetes with or without retinopathy. Using standardized protocols, 200-degree UWF images and UWF FA images were acquired at the same visit. Images were assessed for the presence of PPLS.
The researchers found that 61.8 percent of eyes had PPLS. The presence of PPLS correlated with increased nonperfusion area (NPA) and nonperfusion index (NPI). After adjustment for baseline DR severity and diabetes duration, these correlations persisted. Increasing NPA and NPI correlated with worsening DR severity in eyes without proliferative DR. There were no correlations for NPA or NPI with clinically significant macular edema or with visual acuity.
"In conclusion, the extent of both the nonperfused retinal area and index of nonperfusion are correlated highly with DR severity and presence and location of PPLs," the authors write.
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