Purpose: Macular edema after cataract surgery is the main cause of unfavorable visual outcome and more common in diabetic patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the time course of change in macular thickness in diabetic patients, compared with that in nondiabetic patients after uneventful cataract surgery.
Subjects and methods: We examined 36 diabetic eyes and 30 nondiabetic controls preoperatively and 1, 3, 7, 30, 90, and 180 days postoperatively, using a Retinal Thickness Analyzer (RTA). Aqueous flare intensity and visual acuity were also measured.
Results: Macular thickening and an increase in aqueous flare were marked in diabetic eyes and controls on the first postoperative day. In nondiabetic patients, these subtle changes improved gradually and returned to near-normal within 6 months. In diabetic patients, prolonged and progressive macular thickening was observed 6 months after surgery. Macular edema in diabetic patients had a propensity to cause poorer 6-month visual acuity.
Conclusions: RTA is useful for early detection of macular edema. Using RTA, we demonstrated that cataract surgery induced subclinical macular edema even in nondiabetic subjects and that progressive macular edema might cause poor visual outcome in diabetic patients.