Diabetic retinopathy for general practitioners.

The most significant complication of diabetes mellitus involves the eye and which develops 85% of all diabetics eventually to retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the commonest cause of blindness between 4th and 7th decades. It is essentially a microangiopathy with two distinct stages during its evolution, the preclinical and clinical stages. Diabetic maculopathy is the commonest cause of visual loss in diabetics. Progression of the diseases can be retarded by early diagnosis and using appropriate measures. Well known risk factors are diabetes age, metabolic control of hypertension, associated renal disease and pregnancy. The management plan of the secondary level is early diagnosis and laser photocoagulation or surgical intervention. Vitreoretinal surgery is certainly of benefit in patients with advanced diabetic eye disease. The PROMPT factors can be applied to decrease diabetes mellitus related blindness.