Retinopathy is a general term that refers to some form of non-inflammatory damage to the retina of the eye. Most commonly it is a problem with the blood supply that is the cause for this condition. Frequently, retinopathy is an ocular manifestation of systemic disease.  Many causes of retinopathy such as hypertension, prematurity of the new born , genetic retinopathy, sickle cell anemia and diabetes, namely diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is the result of microvascular retinal changes. Hyperglycemia-induced pericyte death and thickening of the basement membrane lead to incompetence of the vascular walls. These damages change the formation of the blood retinal barrier and also make the retinal blood vessels become more permeable.

Small blood vessels such as those in the eye  are especially vulnerable to poor blood sugar or blood glucose control. An overaccumulation of glucose or fructose damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina. As the disease progresses, severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy enters an advanced, or proliferative, stage. The lack of oxygen in the retina causes fragile, new, blood vessels to grow along the retina and in the clear, gel-like vitreous humour that fills the inside of the eye. Without timely treatment, these new blood vessels can bleed, cloud vision, and destroy the retina.

All people with diabetes mellitus are at risk  those with Type I diabetes and those with Type II diabetes. The longer a person has diabetes, the higher the risk of developing some ocular problem. However, it has been shown that the widely accepted WHO and American Diabetes Association diagnostic cutoff for diabetes of a fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/l or 126 mg/dl does not accurately identify diabetic retinopathy among patients. During pregnancy, diabetic retinopathy may also be a problem for women with diabetes. It is recommended that all pregnant women with diabetes have dilated eye examinations each trimester to protect their vision.

Diabetic retinopathy is detected during an eye examination that includes visual acuity test, pupil dilation, and ophtalmoscopy.

Many types of retinopathy are progressive and may result in blindness or severe vision loss, particularly if the macula becomes affected.

There are some major treatments for diabetic retinopathy, which are very effective in reducing vision loss from this disease. In fact, even people with advanced retinopathy have a 90 percent chance of keeping their vision when they get treatment before the retina is severely damaged. These ophtmalogy treatments are laser surgery, vitrectomy and  injection of triamcinolone. It is important to note that although these treatments are very successful, they do not cure diabetic retinopathy.