title: Diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: The course of diabetic retinopathy is related to the duration of the diabetes. If it is nonproliferative (small hemorrhages, microaneurysms and exudates), the risk of blindness after five years is 20 percent in patients over age 60, if it is proliferative (neovascularization and fibrosis), the risk of blindness after five years is 40 to 65 percent in all patients. While photocoagulation appears to be of benefit, vitrectomy seems a promising approach at this time.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D008028:Light Coagulation; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000601:surgery