[Coagulation therapy of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in juveniles (author's transl)].

51 selected juvenile diabetics (diabetes before the age of 12 and proliferative retinopathy before the age of 25) were treated over a 3-years-period by xenon-photocoagulation, in a minor percentage additionally also by argonlaser-, cryo- or diathermy-coagulation. Results of therapy regarding both fundus disease and visual acuity are highly dependent from the morphologic aspect of the fundus at the beginning of coagulation. Eyes with peripheral neovascularizations alone have no more neovascularizations in 65% after 3 years, this is true for eyes with papillary neovascularizations in only 20%. Vitreous hemorrhage further reduces this percentage. Blindness after 3 years is rare in eyes with peripheral neovascularizations alone (3%). On the other side 52% of eyes with papillary neovascularizations and vitreous hemorrhages are blind after 3 years.