The measurement of ultrasonographic optic nerve sheath diameter in patients with hyperglycemia

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a disease associated with several complications in its acute and chronic stages. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the treatment-associated changes in optic nerve sheath diameter in patients admitted to the emergency department due to one of the acute hyperglycemic complications of diabetes mellitus. Materials and method: Diabetic patients with serum glucose levels of 250 mg/dL or higher were included in the study. Healthy volunteers were included in the control group. Optic nerve sheath diameter was measured at 0th hour and at the end of the second hour. Blood samples were collected simultaneously with optic nerve sheath diameter measurements. Results: The study included 100 individuals. Group 1 included 50 patients and Group 2 included 50 healthy adults. Optic nerve sheath diameter was 4.5 +/- 0.4 mm in Group 1 and 4.4 +/- 0.5 mm in Group 2 in 0th hour, and no statistical difference was found between the groups (p = 0.162). In Group 1, optic nerve sheath diameter increased 0.6 +/- 0.4 mm after the treatment. Of the patients in Group 1, 22 (44%) patients with diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state were assigned to Group 1A and 28 (56%) patients with isolated hyperglycemia were assigned to Group 1B. There was not a difference between the pre- and post-treatment optic nerve sheath diameter values of the patients in Group 1A and Group 1B. Optic nerve sheath diameter was observed to enlarge after treatment. The difference in optic nerve sheath diameter was 0.6 +/- 0.4 mm in Group 1A and 0.5 +/- 0.4 mm in Group 1B (p = 0.294). Conclusion: Pre-treatment optic nerve sheath diameter values of the patients who were diagnosed with one of the acute hyperglycemic complications of diabetes mellitus are not different from healthy adults. Furthermore, optic nerve sheath diameter values do not change with the severity of the disease. However, optic nerve sheath diameter values change with treatment. For this reason, optic nerve sheath diameter can be used to following the development of brain edema.