Concurrent sickle cell hemoglobin C disease and diabetes mellitus: no added risk of proliferative retinopathy?
Of 148 adults with sickle cell hemoglobin C (SC) disease seen at Cook County Hospital and Clinics, Chicago, Illinois, eight patients had coexistent noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The clinical findings were notable for the paucity of retinal vascular changes. No patient showed proliferative diabetic retinopathy; one patient showed background diabetic retinopathy consisting of a few microaneurysms. Six of the eight patients showed no lesions of proliferative sickle retinopathy. Coexistence of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and SC disease does not appear to have an additive adverse effect on the presence or severity of proliferative retinopathy in the affected patient.
Department of Medicine, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60612.
P R
PR
Koduri
A R
AR
Patel
H A
HA
Bernstein
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006450:Hemoglobin SC Disease / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors