IJMABHR International Journal of Medical and All Body Health ResearchIJMABHR 2582-8940 Anfo Publication House 527 10.54660/IJMBHR.2026.7.3.219-223 Association of Central Macular Thickness with Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy: An Optical Cohorence Based-Cross Sectional Study GhodaropeMeghna PervinUzma VarshneyKushagra SinghShubham Prakash RanjanSomesh AggarwalSarita PG 3rd Year, Department of Ophthalmology, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India MBBS, MS (Ophthalmology), Professor and Head, Department of Ophthalmology, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 07082026 7 3 219 223 11062026 09072026 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of preventable blindness, with macular involvement being the primary determinant of visual impairment. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides an objective, non-invasive method for evaluating central macular thickness (CMT) and detecting early macular changes. Aim: To assess changes in central macular thickness in diabetics with different stages of diabetic retinopathy using optical coherence tomography. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted over a period of 18 months. A total of 114 patients were evaluated. Comprehensive ophthalmic examination, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus evaluation, and OCT-based CMT measurement were performed. Diabetic retinopathy was staged as mild, moderate, severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests. Results: The mean CMT showed a progressive increase with severity of diabetic retinopathy: mild NPDR (240.2 ± 20.2 µm), moderate NPDR (277.2 ± 8.8 µm), severe NPDR (308.7 ± 5.9 µm), and PDR (308.8 ± 19.4 µm), which was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Diabetic macular edema was significantly associated with advanced stages of DR (p < 0.001). Higher CMT values were observed with increasing age, poor glycemic control, and male gender. Conclusion: Central macular thickness increases significantly with advancing stages of diabetic retinopathy. OCT-measured CMT is a reliable and objective parameter for early detection and assessment of macular involvement, facilitating timely intervention and prevention of vision loss.  

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