[Deficient prevention and late treatment of diabetic retinopathy in Mexico].
BACKGROUND
Retinopathy is a frequent complication of diabetes, causing visual impairment in 10% and blindness in 2% of diabetic patients. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical profile of diabetic patients in an ophthalmologic unit in Tijuana, México.


METHODS
Retrospective study of a random sample of 500 clinical charts of patients with diabetes who attended the Retina Service of "Fundación CODET para la Prevención de la Ceguera IBP" Ophthalmologic Center between 2006 and 2010.


RESULTS
The main complaint of 58% of patients was decreased visual acuity in first evaluation. Only 6.2% of patients were referred by a health professional. Forty-six percent of the patients had a history of diabetes of at least 15 years. Thirty percent had clinically significant visual impairment at first visit, which was associated with a long history of diabetes and previous eye surgery. Twenty-five percent of these patients who were treated at our clinic experienced visual deterioration due to advanced retinopathy.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with diabetic retinopathy are referred to ophthalmological service tardily, when visual loss is usually severe and irreversible.
Departamento de Retina, Vítreo y Trauma Ocular, Fundación CODET para la Prevención de la Ceguera IBP.
René A
RA
Cervantes-Castañeda
Facultad de Medicina y Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Rufino
R
Menchaca-Díaz
Facultad de Medicina y Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Beatriz
B
Alfaro-Trujillo
Facultad de Medicina y Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Manuel
M
Guerrero-Gutiérrez
Departamento de Cirugía Refractiva y Segmento Anterior, CODET Vision Institute, Tijuana, Baja California.
Arturo S
AS
Chayet-Berdowsky
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult