Optical coherence tomography angiography for assessment of changes of the retina and choroid in different stages of diabetic retinopathy and their relationship with diabetic nephropathy.

Given the prevalence of diabetes worldwide, diabetic retinopathy (DR) has become the most prominent cause of blindness. However, DR can be diagnosed only when it is severe enough to be clinically detectable. Several studies have evaluated the correlation between DR and diabetic nephropathy (DN) by utilizing optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Compared with other diagnostic techniques, such as fluorescein angiography and fundus photography, OCTA has the ability to directly reflect the condition of the retinal and choroidal microcirculation at an early stage. This review focuses on the following aspects: the advantages of OCTA, the pathophysiology of DR, changes in OCTA images in patients with DR, and the relationships between OCTA parameters and renal function.