title: Choroidal microvascular proliferation secondary to diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Diabetes is a common endocrine disorder associated with peripheral microvascular diseases such as proliferative retinal microangiopathy (or diabetic retinopathy), which may lead to blindness. Unfortunately, diabetic microvascular abnormalities in the choroid are underestimated in clinical practice. Recent literature has revealed that the severity of diabetic retinopathy is aggravated by choroidopathy resulting from hyperglycemia. Here, we introduce a case of diabetic retinopathy with choroidal neovascularization membrane but without signs of retinal microvascular proliferation or drusen. We investigated the pathogenesis of choroidal microvascular proliferation secondary to diabetes. We postulate that choroidal neovascularization is an intraocular microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy may be a treatment option for microvascular proliferation in both retina and choroids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Ian Yat Hin
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Fourth Hospital of People, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Hailin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Pathology Section; choroidal neovasculation; fluorescein angiography; indocyanine green angiography; microangiopathy; proliferative diabetic choroidopathy