AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightPatients with diabetic retinopathy should be adequately informed about the complications of diabetes and should be encouraged to have their treatments during the pandemic period.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
Purpose: To report our treatment approaches and results in patients whose retinopathy progressed to advanced diabetic eye disease during the pandemic period. Materials and Methods: In this single-centered, retrospective case series, medical records were reviewed for patients who could not come to the controls and not receive treatment, and whose retinopathy progressed to advanced diabetic eye disease during the pandemic period. Anatomical and functional results, and complications after treatments were evaluated. We recorded the data from the initial visit to last follow- up 3rd month visit after treatments. Results: Seventeen eyes of 16 patients were included in the study. Before the pandemic, 4 (23.5%) eyes had severe NPDR and 13 (76,5%) eyes had mild, moderate or high risk PDR. These patients did not want to come to the hospital and have their treatments because of the danger of COVID-19, although we called them by phone. In post-pandemic visit nine eyes (52.9%) had grade 3-4 vitreous hemorrhage, 5 (29.4%) had neovascular glaucoma, 1 (5.8%) eye had neovascularization iris without glaucoma. Two (11.7%) eyes had macular tractional retinal detachment. Visual acuity increased significantly in eyes with vitreous hemorrhage, but in eyes with neovascular glaucoma and tractional retinal detachment, visual acuity did not increase significantly in the 3rd month when compared to before the pandemic (p = 0.001, p = 0.65, p=0.052). Conclusion: In some of the patients with diabetic retinopathy who could not have their controls and treatments due to pandemic, permanent vision loss developed. Patients with diabetic retinopathy should be adequately informed about the complications of diabetes and should be encouraged to have their treatments during the pandemic period.