Association Between RetCAT™ Scores and Microperimetry Parameters in Diabetic Macular Edema: Italian Clinical Study

Understanding how functional retinal measures relate to patient-reported quality of life (QoL) outcomes is critical in diabetic eye disease.

In a clinical study conducted at San Giuseppe Hospital in Milan, Italy, 100 patients undergoing intravitreal injections for diabetic eye disease completed the 10 domains of RetCAT™ and underwent comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation, including visual acuity testing and microperimetry.

Microperimetry assesses retinal sensitivity — the ability of specific areas of the retina, particularly the macula, to detect light — as well as fixation stability, which measures the ability of the eye to maintain a steady and consistent gaze on a target. Unlike standard eye chart testing, microperimetry can detect subtle, localized reductions in retinal sensitivity before a loss in letter-reading ability is recorded.

In this study, patients with worse visual acuity, reduced retinal sensitivity, and poorer fixation stability had lower RetCAT™ scores overall compared with those demonstrating better visual parameters.

Importantly, retinal sensitivity showed a stronger association with QoL outcomes than visual acuity in patients with center-involving diabetic macular edema. These findings highlight the importance of linking objective functional retinal measures with patient-reported experience to better understand disease burden.

Read more in our recent publication in Ophthalmology Science:
“Impact of vision impairment and microperimetry parameters on quality of life in patients with center-involving diabetic macular edema.”