Brain diffusion-weighted imaging in diabetic patients with retinopathy.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to detect whether there is any change in apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) levels in different sites of the brain, particularly in areas associated with the vision, in diabetic patients with retinopathy by measuring diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DWI of the brain were obtained from 45 diabetic patients (15 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (group 1), 15 patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (group 2), 15 diabetic patients without retinopathy (group 3) and from 15 age-matched healthy volunteers (group 4). ADC values of visual cortex, cingulate gyrus, orbitofrontal, dorsomedial and dorsolateral frontal, corona radiate, and thalamus were obtained.

RESULTS

The ADC values of visual cortex, cingulate gyrus and orbitofrontal cortex significantly increased in groups 1 and 2 compared to groups 3 and 4 (p < 0.001). The ADC values of visual cortex significantly increased in group 1 compared to group 2 (p < 0.001). The duration of disease and value of HbAlc positively correlated with ADC values of the visual and orbitofrontal cortexes, and cingulate gyrus.

CONCLUSIONS

We found an increase in ADC values supporting the neuronal loss in some regions, especially in visual center by DWI in the diabetic patients with retinopathy. This result supports the association between diabetic retinopathy and brain injury.