Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2002 Nov;86(11):1252-5.
doi: 10.1136/bjo.86.11.1252.

Can a cilio-retinal artery influence diabetic maculopathy?

L L Knudsen  1 , H H Lervang
Affiliations

Can a cilio-retinal artery influence diabetic maculopathy?

L L Knudsen et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2002 Nov.

Abstract

Aim: To explore the influence of a cilio-retinal artery on diabetic maculopathy.

Methods: In the county of North Jutland 481 diabetic subjects underwent examination for diabetic retinopathy during the period 1 June 2000 to 30 June 2001. A unilateral cilio-retinal artery was observed in 104 patients among which 29 revealed variation in right and left eye maculopathy. A bilateral cilio-retinal artery was observed in 15 diabetic subjects. The influence of a cilio-retinal artery on diabetic maculopathy was explored in a paired study.

Results: Diabetic maculopathy was found to be more severe in 26 of 29 eyes with a cilio-retinal artery (p<0.01) compared to eyes without it. The number of red dots (p<0.0001) and hard exudates (p=0.0002) were found to be significantly increased in eyes with a cilio-retinal artery, as also the number of eyes with central photocoagulation (p<0.05). In addition, clinically significant macular oedema was found to be significantly increased in eyes with a cilio-retinal artery compared to eyes without it (0.01<p<0.02).

Conclusion: In some patients, the presence of a cilio-retinal artery may worsen diabetic maculopathy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Fundus photograph from a diabetic subject with unilateral cilio-retinal artery. Arrow indicates a cilio-retinal artery. An increased number of red dots are seen in this eye compared to the other eye (B). (B) Fundus photograph from the same patient (A) but from the other eye, without a cilio-retinal artery.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Fundus photograph from a diabetic subject with unilateral cilio-retinal artery. Arrow indicates a cilio-retinal artery. Central photocoagulation has previously been given to this eye. (B) Fundus photograph from the same patient (A) but from the other eye without a cilio-retinal artery. No central photocoagulation has previously been given to this eye.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Sjølie AK. Ocular complications in insulin treated diabetes mellitus. Acta Ophthalmol 1985;(suppl 172). - PubMed
    1. Nielsen NV. The prevalence and causes of impaired vision in diabetics. Acta Ophthalmol 1982;60:677–91. - PubMed
    1. Ashton N. Studies of the retinal capillaries in relation to diabetic and other retinopathies. Br J Ophthalmol 1963;47:521–38. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sander B, Larsen M, Engler C, et al. Early changes in diabetic retinopathy: capillary loss and blood-retina barrier permeability in relation to metabolic control. Acta Ophthalmol 1994;72:553–9. - PubMed
    1. Bresnick GH, Condit R, Syrjala S, et al. Abnormalities of the foveal avascular zone in diabetic retinopathy. Arch Ophthalmol 1984;102:1286–93. - PubMed