AIM: To investigate changes of retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)thickness and macular retinal thickness in patients with early diabetic retinopathy(DR)and disclose the changing trends of RNFL thickness and macular retinal thickness in different stages of early DR.

METHODS: It was a clinical case control study. Through selecting 60 patients(120 eyes)with early DR diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were divided into non-diabetic retinopathy(NDR)group(20 cases, 40 eyes)and mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR)group(20 cases, 40eyes), moderate NPDR group(20 cases, 40 eyes). Twenty normal patients(40 eyes)were enrolled as control group. The RNFL thickness of optical nerve(with circle scan round optic nerve head, scan diameter of 3.45mm)and the retinal thickness of macular(around center point with 1000μm diameter)were measured by optical coherence tomography(OCT), to compare the RNFL thickness changes of the control and early DR patients.

RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the RNFL thickness of optical disc in the inferior quadrant was descended obviously in NDR group(P<0.05), with statistically significant difference,; there were no statistically significant difference in other quadrants(P>0.05). In mild NPDR group, the RNFL thickness of optical disc in the mean and inferior quadrant was significantly descended than that in the NDR group. In moderate NPDR group, the RNFL thickness of optical disc in the mean, superior and inferior quadrant was statistical significance descended than that in the NDR group(P<0.05). Compared with the NPDR group, NDR group and control group, the RNFL thickness of optical disc in each quadrant were descended significantly. There was statistically significant difference in macular retinal thickness among the NDR group, mild NPDR and moderate NPDR group(P<0.05), the retinal thickness was increased gradually in mild NPDR and moderate NPDR group.

CONCLUSION:With the development in the degree of early DR, RNFL thickness is gradually decreased and retinal thickness is increased, OCT can be observed qualitatively and quantitatively in DR.