Retinal morphological changes detected by wide-field optical coherence tomography in eyes after vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a severe vitreoretinal disease that can lead to significant visual impairment. Vitrectomy is commonly performed in advanced cases; however, postoperative complications, such as proliferative membrane formation and retinal detachment may still occur. Early detection of these complications is essential for timely intervention and prevention of further vision loss. Retinal morphological changes, including tractional retinal detachment due to re-proliferation, may develop after vitreoretinal surgery. This study aimed to evaluate postoperative retinal morphological changes in PDR using wide-field optical coherence tomography (WF-OCT).

METHODS

Seventy-five eyes from 64 patients with PDR who underwent vitrectomy and had high-quality WF-OCT images taken at 1 and 2 months postoperatively were included. Subtracted wide-field retinal thickness map images were generated to analyze changes in retinal thickness.

RESULTS

Retinal thickness changes were detected in 171 subfields across 64 eyes. The most common cause was the resolution of traction (51.5%), followed by traction worsening due to postoperative proliferative membrane formation (17.0%). Resolution of retinal edema was observed in 16 central and five peripheral subfields, whereas worsening was noted in five central and one peripheral subfield. Retinal thickness changes due to worsening traction were identified in four central and 25 peripheral subfields.

CONCLUSION

WF-OCT effectively detected postoperative retinal morphological changes in eyes with PDR, including changes in the peripheral retina. These findings highlight the clinical utility of WF-OCT for postoperative monitoring and treatment planning.