Studying the Effect of Different Treatment Modalities on Color Vision in Patients with diabetic Macular Edema

Abstract

Background: Diabetic macular edema [DME] is a significant contributor to vision loss globally, arising as a part of diabetic retinopathy [DR], which is the most prevalent ocular issue associated with diabetes mellitus [DM].

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate changes in color vision in patients with diabetic macular edema using Roth 28 hue color test before and after using of different modalities of treatment, either macular laser treatment or the intravitreal injection of anti- vascular endothelial growth factor [Anti-VEGF].

Patients and Methods: In a randomized cross-sectional study done on 30 eyes of 20 patients with diabetic macular edema of both types insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent of both genders at different age groups, presented to the ophthalmology outpatient clinic at New Najran General Hospital. For every patient; full history was taken, full ophthalmic examination was done [including; measuring the best corrected visual acuity [BCVA], color vision using Roth 28 hue test]. Ophthalmic investigation by the Heidelberg spectral domain optical coherence tomography [SD-OCT] at baseline. Color vision testing was repeated one month after using macular laser photocoagulation in group 1 and intra-vitreal injection of Anti-VEGF in group 2.

Results: The current study reveals there was no statistically significant improvement in BCVA, the percentage of change was 0%, and there was no statistically significant change of color global error among the studied patients in group 1. There was statistically significant improvement in BCVA, the percentage of change was 28% and improvement of color global error among the studied patients in the Anti-VEGF group.

Conclusion: Improvement of color vision is noticed after one month among the patients treated with intra-vitreal injection of Anti-VEGF, whereas it does not show such improvement in patients treated with macular laser photocoagulation.