Imaging the eye and its relevance to diabetes care

Investigating ocular imaging techniques for analyzing diabetic retinopathy and its complications. AbstractDiabetes is a major cause of vision loss globally, yet this devastating complication is largely preventable. Early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy necessitates screening. Ocular imaging is widely used clinically, both for the screening and management of diabetic retinopathy. Common eye conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts and retinal vessel thrombosis, and signs of systemic conditions, such as hypertension, are frequently revealed. As well as imaging by a skilled clinician during an eye examination, non ‐ophthalmic clinicians, such as general practitioners, endocrinologists, nurses and trained health workers, can also can carry out diabetic eye screening. This process usually comprises local imaging with remote grading, mostly human grading. However, grading incorporating artificial intelligence is emerging. In a clinical research context, retinal vasculature analyses using semi‐automated software in many populations have identified associations between retinal vessel geometry, such as vessel caliber, and the risk of diabetic retinopathy and other chronic complications of type 1 and type  2 diabetes. Similarly, evaluation of corneal nerves by corneal confocal microscopy is revealing diabetes‐related abnormalities, and associations with and predictive power for other chronic diabetes complications. As yet, the value of retinal vessel geometry and...
Source: Journal of Diabetes Investigation - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research