MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF MACULAR EDEMA IN POST-THROMBOTIC AND DIABETIC RETINOPATHY BASED ON OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FINDINGS

Purpose – to identify and comparatively characterize the morphological features of macular edema in patients with post-thrombotic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema (DME) based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings. Material and methods This study included 60 patients (60 eyes) with significant ME, divided into two groups: 28 patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and 32 patients with DME. All patients underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examination, including spectral-domain OCT of the macular region. The average duration of the process before inclusion in the study was 6.3±1.4 months in the RVO group and 5.7±1.2 months in the DMO group. The following parameters were assessed: central retinal thickness, presence of cystoid changes, subretinal fluid, hyperreflective foci, disorganization of the retinal inner layers (DRIL), and choroidal thickness measured in the subfoveal, nasal, and temporal areas. Results Patients with DME demonstrated greater central retinal thickness compared to those with RVO (p=0.043). Subretinal fluid was more frequently observed in the RVO group (p=0.027). Choroidal thickness was significantly greater in patients with RVO across all measured areas (p<0.01). Conclusion ME in post-thrombotic retinopathy and DR exhibits distinct morphological haracteristics. Identifying these differences is crucial for improving diagnostic accuracy and selecting individualized therapeutic strategies. Key words: macular edema, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, optical coherence tomography, choroid