title: Early breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier in diabetes.
abstract: The blood-retinal barrier plays an important part in the processes of retinal pathophysiology. A new clinical method for the study of the blood-retinal barrier by vitreous fluorophotometry appears to satisfy the necessary requirements in that it is quantitative and shows good reproducibility and high sensitivity. The application of this method  to a series of diabetic patients with apparently "normal" fundi revealed the presence of a significant breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier in the early stages of retinal involvement in diabetes. The extent of the breakdown can be measured allowing for comparative and evolutionary evaluations. The disturbance of the blood-retinal barrier, as evidence by vitreous fluorophotometry, appears before microaneurysms or capillary closure can be demonstrated by fluorescein angiography.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010783:Photometry / Q000379:methods; D011817:Rabbits; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005452:Fluoresceins