AIM:To measure the changes of macular retinal nerve fiber layer thickness at different quadrants and macular fovea in diabetic and nondiabetic patients after phacoemulsification.

METHODS: This was a retrospective nonrandom clinical comparison study, 90 patients(110 eyes)who underwent phacoemulsification were recruited, nondiabetic patients(32 cases, 40 eyes)were in group A, in diabetic without diabetic retinopathy(28 cases, 35 eyes)were as group B, with non-proliferation diabetic retinopathy(30 cases, 35 eyes)were group C. Macular retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses were collected by optical coherence tomography on the preoperative day and on postoperative 1^st, 14^th, 28^th d. Statistical analysis of count data measurement data were done separately by the Chi-square test, variance analysis and SNK-q test.

RESULTS: The foveal: There was significant increase could be detected among A, B, C(F=18.92, P<0.05), while group C showed significant difference as compared with groups A and B(P<0.05). The quadrant: There was significant increase could be detected among A, B, C(F=13.33, 14.37, 19.02, 16.93, P<0.05). This was not statistically significant of nasal among A, B, C groups(P>0.05). However group C showed significant difference in the superior, the inferior, the temporal as compared with groups A and B(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Macular retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and macular fovea of patients with diabetic retinopathy were significant increased after phacoemulsification in 4wk, the incidence of macular edema is higher, the time earlier, the duration longer, the poorer visual recovery.