أبحاث طبية / Medical Research

**Title:** Effect of Intravitreal Injection on Central Macular Thickness and Visual Acuity in Diabetic Patients ### **Background** Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a leading cause of visual impairment in diabetic patients, resulting from retinal thickening due to increased vascular permeability. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) allows precise measurement of central macular thickness (CMT). Intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agents or corticosteroids are commonly used to reduce macular edema and improve vision, though patient responses vary. Local data on treatment outcomes in Sudan are limited. ### **Problem** Despite the increasing use of intravitreal injections for DME, there is a lack of local evidence on their effectiveness in reducing CMT and improving visual acuity among Sudanese patients. ### **Objectives** * **General:** Assess the effect of intravitreal injections on CMT and visual acuity. * **Specific:** * Measure CMT changes post-injection * Evaluate changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) * Correlate CMT reduction with visual improvement * Assess short-term outcomes at 1 and 3 months * Compare effects of different drugs ### **Research Questions** 1. Do intravitreal injections reduce central macular thickness? 2. Do they improve visual acuity in diabetic patients? 3. Is there a correlation between CMT reduction and vision improvement? ### **Methodology** * **Design:** Prospective hospital-based interventional study * **Location:** Aljawareh Hospital * **Population:** Diabetic patients ≥18 years with OCT-confirmed DME * **Exclusions:** Recent intraocular surgery, other retinal diseases * **Sampling:** Consecutive sampling * **Data Collection:** Baseline demographics, diabetes duration, HbA1c, visual acuity, OCT CMT. Intervention: intravitreal injection. Follow-up at 1 and 3 months with repeated visual acuity and OCT measurements. * **Analysis:** SPSS; paired t-tests, correlation analysis; significance at p < 0.05 ### **Expected Outcomes** * Significant reduction in central macular thickness * Improvement in visual acuity * Positive correlation between anatomical (CMT) and functional (vision) outcomes ### **Ethics** * Approval from Ministry of Health, Northern State, Sudan * Informed consent and confidentiality ensured ### **Limitations** * Short follow-up * Small sample size * No control group ### **Timeline** * Proposal: 1 week * Data collection: 3–6 months * Data analysis: 1 month * Report writing: 1 month ### **Budget Considerations** * OCT scans * Injection materials * Data collection tools * Transport/logistics

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