Macular choroidal thickness in pregnant women with type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes mellitus measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: To analyze choroidal thickness (CT) of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), type 2 DM and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study included 144 eyes of 72 pregnant women in the third trimester divided into four groups: 27 non-diabetic pregnant women; 15 pregnant women with GDM; 16 with type 2 DM and 14 with type 1 DM. CT was measured using optical coherence tomography at ten different locations. We also analyzed possible confounding factors, such as gestational age, glycosylated hemoglobin, time from DM diagnosis, hypertension and severity of diabetic retinopathy.

Results: The comparison between the four groups showed a thinner choroid in patients with type 1 DM in all locations, with statistical significance in subfoveal and temporal measurements. When comparing only patients with type 1 and type 2 DM, adjusting for confounding factors, the choroid of patients with type 1 DM remained thinner at all macular points, also with statistical significance in subfoveal and temporal measurements.

Conclusion: Pregnant women with type 1 DM had significantly thinner CT measurements on subfoveal and temporal locations. No differences were found in CT between the control group and pregnant women with GDM and type 2 DM.