Detection of diabetic retinopathy using non-mydriatic fundus photography at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
BACKGROUND
Despite recent improvements in the care of diabetic patients, diabetic retinopathy remains the most common cause of blindness among the diabetic population. The aim of this study is to identify the incidence and severity of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic patients followed-up at the metabolic clinics of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taoyuan, Taiwan.


METHODS
We investigated the retinas of diabetic patients who were followed-up at the metabolic clinics and received non-mydriatic fundus photograph from April 1994 through June 1994.


RESULTS
There were 694 patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in this study. Their mean age was 56.2 +/- 11.1 years and the mean number of years since diagnosis was 5.9 +/- 5.7 years. Among them, 171 (25%) patients had diabetic retinopathy, including 109 (15.7%) background, 45 (6.5%) preproliferative and 17 (2.4%) proliferative cases. The presence of diabetic retinopathy correlated with the number of years since diagnosis of these diabetic patients (odds ratio: 1.03; p = 0.0024).


CONCLUSIONS
Non-mydriatic fundus photography is a good screening method for diabetic retinopathy detection. Twenty-five percent of type 2 diabetic patients followed-up at our metabolic clinics had diabetic retinopathy with background retinopathy being the most predominant. The most significant risk factor of diabetic retinopathy is the number of years since the patient was diagnosed with diabetes.
Liu
F H
FH
Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Yarng
S S
SS
Lin
J D
JD
Juang
J H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009184:Mydriatics; D010781:Photography
D009184:Mydriatics