To evaluate the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) thickness in eyes with resolved diabetic macular edema (DME).

Twenty eyes of diabetic retinopathy patients with resolved DME (DME group) after treatment, and 20 eyes of diabetic retinopathy patients without DME (no-DME group) were included in this study. The pRNFL thickness, mGCIPL thickness and central macular thickness (CMT) were measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Analyses were performed to determine the correlation between the different thicknesses and the visual function.

No significant difference in mean CMT was observed between the DME and no-DME groups. Average pRNFL thickness in the DME group was thicker than in the no-DME group ( p = 0.003). Average mGCIPL thickness in the DME group was thinner than in the no-DME group ( p = 0.030). Final visual acuity was significantly correlated with average mGCIPL thickness and minimum mGCIPL thickness, but not pRNFL thickness and CMT in the DME group.

mGCIPL thickness decreased in the DME group compared with the no-DME group and was correlated with the visual acuity. These results suggested that inner retinal injury in patients with DME might lead to poor visual outcome after treatment.