A 58 year old male complains of progressive dimunition of visual acuity. He describes that the vision from both eyes has been worsening over the past 2 years.
He has been on treatment for Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension for the last 5 years. Fundoscopy reveals optic disc neovascularization.
He is most likely to have?
a) non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy b) proliferative diabetic retinopathy c) vitreous detachment d) systemic Lupus Erythematosus e) multiple sclerosis
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
Diabetic retinopathy may be classified as nonproliferative or proliferative. Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy is characterized by structural abnormalities of the retinal vessels including edema, exudates, and intraretinal hemorrhages. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy, on the other hand, results in optic disc, retinal, or iris neovascularization. Neovascular tissue contains both a vascular and a fibrous component. The vascular component may cause hemorrhage while the fibrous component may may cause traction on the retina. The major vision-threatening complications therefore include macular edema, macular ischemia, neovascularization with preretinal or vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment and neovascular glaucoma.