ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the corneal nerve fibres damage in different stage of diabetic retinopathy (DR) with type 2 diabetes.Methods A cross-sectional study.One hundred and twenty eyes of 120 patients with type 2 diabetes served as diabetes group.According to International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scales (2002),diabetes patients were classified into 4 subgroups:patients without diabetic retinopathy (NDR),patients with mild or moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (mNPDR),patients with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (sNPDR) and patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR),each subgroup has 30 eyes of 30 patients.Another 30 eyes of 30 healthy participants served as control group.All eyes were scanned with HRT3 in vivo corneal confocal microscopy.Images of sub-basal nerve plexus were quantified including nerve fiber length (NFL),nerve fiber density (NFD),nerve fiber branch density (NFB),and nerve tortuosity (NT).The correlations of corneal nerve fiber with age,duration of diabetes and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1 c) were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis.Results NFL,NFD and NFB were found to be significantly lower in diabetic patients (F=147.315,142.586,65.898;P=0.000,0.000,0.000),NT was significantly greater in diabetic patients (F=39.431,P=0.000),when compared to control group.In diabetic patients,NFL,NFD and NFB were gradually reduced with DR severity,NT was gradually increased with DR severity.While the difference ofNFL,NFD,NFB,NT was not statistically significant between sNPDR and PDR subgroups (P>.0.05),but was statistically significant between other subgroups (P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis results showed that age (r=-0.071,-0.080,0.001,0.100;P=0.391,0.328,0.991,0.224) and HbAlc (r=-0.109,-0.115,-0.126,0.025;P=0.238,0.211,0.169,0.781) had no correlation with NFL,NFD,NFB,NT.Duration of diabetes was negatively correlated with the NFL,NFD (r=-0.212,-0.264;P=0.020,0.004),positive correlated with NT (r=0.261,P=0.004),and had no correlation with NFB (r=-0.119,P=0.194).Conclusions Corneal nerve fiber loss and nerve tortuosity increased were found in patients with type 2 diabetes,and even without diabetic retinopathy.The progress of corneal neuropathy was correlated with the severity of DR,but it was not change significantly between sNPDR and PDR.
ABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: Diabetes mellitus é uma doença crônica prevalente, associada a inúmeras complicações. A neuropatia periférica diabética é a mais comum, acometendo 50% dos diabéticos, mas muitas vezes não é diagnosticada. Por cursar com insensibilidade distal e alterações arquiteturais dos pés, predispõe a úlceras, podendo culminar no pé diabético com risco de amputação. O diabetes mellitus é responsável por 70% das amputações de membros, que poderiam ser prevenidas com o diagnóstico precoce da neuropatia periférica diabética. Sugere-se avaliar o grau de neuropatia em diabéticos por meio de escores, visando homogeneizar o diagnóstico, quantificar a prevalência e promover medidas preventivas. MÉTODOS: Realizou-se entrevista, exame físico e coleta de dados de diabéticos atendidos ambulatorialmente, para pontuação e qualificação no Escore de Sintomas Neuropáticos e no Escore de Comprometimento Neuropático, validados na língua portuguesa para avaliar neuropatia periférica diabética, além de análise das características clínicas e epidemiológicas associadas. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 116 pacientes, constatando-se neuropatia periférica diabética em 31,9%. Houve correlação significativa de neuropatia periférica diabética coma idade dos pacientes, mas não com as demais variáveis clínicas e laboratoriais. Os pacientes avaliados apresentaram médias de idade de 55±15 anos e tempo de diabetes de 14,8±10,9 anos, sendo predominantemente caucasianos, mulheres e portadores de diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Eram hipertensos 67,2% e 42,2%, obesos. CONCLUSÃO: A prevalência encontrada corrobora a literatura, embora poucos estudos tenham utilizado critérios similares para diagnosticar neuropatia periférica diabética. Empregando os escores padronizados, de baixo custo e fácil aplicação possibilitamos o diagnóstico precoce e embasado dessa entidade, sendo possível, com isso, reduzir a prevalência de graves complicações do pé diabético e disseminar informações a respeito.
OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent chronic disease, associated with numerous complications. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the most common, affecting 50% of diabetics, although is often not diagnosed. Presenting with distal numbness and architectural alterations of the feet, it predisposes ulcers and may culminate in diabetic foot at risk for amputation. Diabetes mellitus is responsible for 70% of limb amputations, which could be prevented with early diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This study aims to evaluate the degree of neuropathy in diabetics through validated scores, in order to standardize the diagnosis, quantify the prevalence and promote preventive actions. METHODS: We performed an interview, physical examination and data collection of diabetic outpatients, for rating in the Neuropathy Symptom Score and the Neuropathy Disability Score, validated in Portuguese, to assess diabetic peripheral neuropathy, in addition to analysis of clinical and epidemiological associated characteristics. RESULTS: We included 116 patients and diabetic peripheral neuropathy was found in 31.9%. There was significant correlation diabetic peripheral neuropathy with age, but not with other clinical and laboratory variables. The mean age was 55±15 years, diabetes duration was 14.8±10.9 years and patients were predominantly Caucasian, women and had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Of the patients, 67.2 % were hypertensive and 42.2% obese. CONCLUSION: The prevalence found is supported by previous data, although few studies have used similar criteria to diagnose diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Employing the standard scores, of low cost and easy implementation, we enable early and accurate diagnosis of this condition, allowing to reduce the prevalence of severe diabetic foot complications and spread information about it.