Ocular manifestations of diabetes mellitus (continuing education credit).

1. Within 15 to 20 years of being diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus, 90% of patients will have some degree of diabetic retinopathy and 25% will have proliferative diabetic retinopathy. 2. The majority of the cases of blindness from diabetic retinopathy could be prevented or significantly delayed by timely and appropriate management of diabetic retinopathy. 3. Until a cure for diabetes mellitus is discovered, all patients with diabetes mellitus should receive ophthalmic evaluation soon after the diagnosis is made.