Treatment of early diabetic retinopathy with cyclandelate.

Abstract

To assess the effect of cyclandelate on the abnormal permeability of the blood-retinal barrier which occurs in diabetic patients before any other lesions are apparent in the retina a well-controlled, double blind and paired trial was done in 22 patients. The treatments were randomized. The permeability of the blood-retinal barrier was assessed by vitreous fluorophotometry. Each patient was examined before the trial and 3 times afterwards at 1 mo. intervals. The breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier as evidence by the degree of abnormal fluorescein penetration into the vitreous suffered a significant decrease in the diabetic patients treated with cyclandelate when compared to the patients submitted to placebo administration, and this effect was particularly apparent in the 3rd mo. of treatment.