AIM:To study the ocular surface and corneal lesions under different degrees of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).

METHODS: A total of 123 patients(246 eyes)with T2DM were enrolled in this study. All of patients were divided into non-diabetic retinopathy group(46 patients 92 eyes), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy group(50 patients 100 eyes)and proliferative diabetic retinopathy group(27 patients 54 eyes)according to the type of retinopathy. Dry eye questionnaire, ocular surface disease index(OSDI), Schirmer Ⅰ text(SⅠt), tear break-up time(BUT), fluorescein staining of cornea(FL), corneal endoscopy and central corneal thickness measurement were used to analyze the differences of three groups.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in general data between the three groups. Significant differences existed in eye pain, dry eyes, lacrimation, eye fatigue, burning sensation, vision fluctuations in three groups(P<0.05). Foreign body sensation, itchy eyes, red eyes showed no significant difference in groups(P>0.05). There were significant differences in ODSI value, FL positive rate, BUT, SIt, corneal endothelial cell density and central corneal thickness in three groups(P<0.05). variable coefficient of corneal endothelial cell showed no Significant difference in groups(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study show that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus presented obviously discomfort symptoms of ocular surface, decreased tear film stability, increased positive rate of corneal fluorescein staining; decreased density of corneal endothelial cells; increased central corneal thickness in diabetic patients, all of which were associated with degree of retinopathy.