# Corneal endothelial changes in type 2 diabetes mellitus with reference to stage of diabetic retinopathy

## TL;DR

This study finds that type 2 diabetes affects corneal endothelial health, but these changes are not linked to the severity of diabetic retinopathy.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that corneal endothelial changes in T2DM occur independently of diabetic retinopathy progression.

## Key findings

- Diabetic patients showed lower endothelial cell density and increased coefficient of variation compared to controls.
- No significant correlation was found between diabetic retinopathy stages and corneal endothelial parameters.
- Corneal endothelial changes in T2DM may occur independently of diabetic retinopathy severity.

## Abstract

The impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) stage on corneal endothelial morphology and central corneal
thickness (CCT) remains unclear. In this cross-sectional study conducted at R.L. Jalappa Hospital with 80 participants (40 diabetics and 40
controls), specular microscopy revealed that diabetic patients had significantly lower endothelial cell density, reduced hexagonality and
increased coefficient of variation, indicating endothelial dysfunction. Although CCT was slightly thinner in diabetics, the difference was
not statistically significant. Moreover, analysis across DR severity (No DR, NPDR and PDR) showed no significant correlation with endothelial
parameters, despite a worsening trend with disease progression. Thus, we show that corneal endothelial changes in T2DM may occur independently
of DR, underscoring the importance of routine corneal evaluation before intraocular procedures.