THE PREVALENCE OF RETINOPATHY IN INSULIN‐DEPENDENT JUVENILE‐ONSET DIABETES MELLITUS ‐A FLUORESCEIN‐ANGIOGRAPHIC STUDY

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Abstract
A fluorescein-angiographic study was performed comprising all 171 insulin-dependent diabetics [IDDM] with debut at .ltoreq. 40 yr of age who were census registered on the island of Gotland 1981-1982. Children < 15 yr of age were excluded. The overall prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 66%, being 11% at 0-5 yr duration of diabetes, 42% at 6-10 yr, 84% at 11-15 yr, 90% at 16-30 yr and 100% after 30-yr duration. Proliferative retinopathy was first seen after 11 yr duration, it had a prevalence of 18% and was twice as common in females as in males. Neovascularization was seen in 25% of patients with IDDM debut at .ltoreq. 20 yr of age and in only 7% of those with IDDM debut at 21-40 yr (P < 0.01). Pigment epithelial defects were found in 91 subjects (56%).