Diabetic retinopathy. Still an important complication.

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness. The two forms of retinopathy are background (nonproliferative) and proliferative. Risk for retinopathy increases with the duration of diabetes. Therefore, diabetics need to have regular eye examinations, including specific techniques, to detect subtle retinal changes. Timely ophthalmologic referral is crucial to maximize potential visual results. Patients with macular edema may be candidates for focal laser therapy. Those with proliferative retinopathy may be treated with panretinal laser photocoagulation, which causes regression of neovascularization, or vitrectomy to remove vitreous hemorrhage and repair complicated retinal detachments.