Diabetic Retinopathy
- Changes in the retinal capillaries; lead to retinal ischemia.
- Changes include microaneurysms, intraretinal hemorrhage, hard exudates, and focal
capillary closure
- Retinopathy stages: nonproliferative (background), preproliferative, & proliferative.
- Yearly eye exams are recommended
Diagnosis and treatment
- Dx: Direct visualization, fluorescein angiography.
- Treatment: control Blood pressure and glucose, stop smoking , and vitrectomy
A major hemorrhage into the vitreous may occur, with the vitreous fluid becoming
mixed with blood, preventing light from passing through the eye; this can cause
blindness. A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure in which vitreous humor filled with
blood or fibrous tissue is removed with a special drill-like instrument and replaced with
saline or another liquid.