Risk of retinal neovascularization in the second eye in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

• Published in: Acta ophthalmologica (Oxford, England) England), 2010-06, Vol.88 (4), p.449-452
• Main Authors: Vésteinsdóttir, Edda, Björnsdóttir, Sigrídur, Hreidarsson, Astrádur B, Stefánsson, Einar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; diabetic retinopathy; Diabetic Retinopathy - complications; Diabetic Retinopathy - diagnosis; Diabetic Retinopathy - etiology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; neovascularization; Prognosis; Retinal Neovascularization - complications; Retinal Neovascularization - diagnosis; Retinal Neovascularization - etiology; risk; Risk Factors; screening; Time Factors; Visual Acuity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1755-375X; 1755-3768
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2008.01440.x

. Purpose:  This study aimed to evaluate the risk of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the fellow eye of an eye with existing proliferative DR. Methods:  Our DR screening programme database listed 1513 diabetes patients alive at the time of the study. Seventy‐six had proliferative DR in one or both eyes. Results:  In 28 of the 76 (37%) diabetes patients, proliferative DR was diagnosed in both eyes at the same examination. Another 28 patients developed proliferative DR in the second eye within 5 years of its diagnosis in the first eye, bringing the total number of diabetes patients with proliferative DR in both eyes at 5 years to 56 (74%). Almost all the diabetes patients eventually developed proliferative DR in the second eye. The median duration of diabetes before the development of proliferative retinopathy was 19 years for type 1 and 14 years for type 2 diabetes. Conclusions:  Proliferative DR is a bilateral disease. Diabetes patients with proliferative DR in one eye are at high risk of developing neovascularization in the second eye and close follow‐up is recommended.