Use of automated quantitative pupillometric evaluation for monitoring the severity of diabetic retinopathy

ABSTRACT Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the use of automated quantitative static and dynamic pupillometry in screening patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and different stages of diabetic retinopathy. Method: 155 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (diabetes mellitus group) were included in this study and another 145 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals to serve as the control group. The diabetes mellitus group was divided into three subgroups: diabetes mellitus without diabetic retinopathy (No-diabetic retinopathy), nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Static and dynamic pupillometry were performed using a rotating Scheimpflug camera with a topography-based system. Results: In terms of pupil diameter in both static and dynamic pupillometry (p0.05). However, it could be concluded that the proliferative diabetic retinopathy group was significantly different from the rest of the subgroups, No-diabetic retinopathy and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy groups, in terms of all the static pupillometry measurements (p0.05 for all). Conclusion: This study revealed that the measurements derived from automated pupillometry are altered in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The presence of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy does not have a negative effect on pupillometry findings, but with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, significant alterations were observed. These results suggest that using automated quantitative pupillometry may be useful in verifying the severity of diabetic retinopathy.