Short-wavelength automated perimetry and capillary density in early diabetic maculopathy

PURPOSE. To correlate short-wavelength cone-mediated sensitivity (SWS) asse ssed by blue-on-yellow perimetry with alterations of the perifoveal vascula r bed in early diabetic maculopathy. METHODS. Thirty-one patients (21 M, 10 F; mean age, 35 +/- 12 years; no len s opacities) with no clinically significant macular edema n ere included in this study, hll patients underwent short-wavelength automated perimetry (S WAP) and conventional white-on-white perimerty (Humphrey, 10.2). In digitiz ed video fluorescein angiograms (Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope), the size o f the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and the mean perifoveal intercapillary ar ea (PIA) as a measure of capillary density were quantified interactively. RESULTS. Mean thresholds of SWAP were significantly correlated with increas ing size of FA7. (r = -0.51, P = 0.003) and PM (r = -0.47, P = 0.01), where as visual acuity expressed by log MAR (FAZ: r = 0.15, P = 0.41; PM: r = 0.0 6, P = 0.76) and mean thresholds assessed with white-on-white perimetry (FA Z: r. = -0.25, P = 0.20, PIA: r. = -0.31, P = 0.14) were unrelated to diabe tic changes of the perifoveal capillary network. CONCLUSIONS. The alterations of the perifoveal network; are related to sele ctive disturbances of visual function as measured by blue-on-yellow-perimet ry. SWAP may act as an early detector of visual function loss in early diab etic maculopathy and serve us a helpful technique to predict early ischemic damage of the macula and to monitor therapy.