Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

THE frequency of vascular disease is known to increase directly with the duration of diabetes mellitus.^{1 , 2} Becently, electron-microscope studies have shown that capillaries in many of the diabetic patients' organ systems (fat being the notable exception) demonstrate basement-membrane thickening.^{3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10} Benal biopsy has revealed glomerular basement-membrane thickening quite early in the course of diabetes — that is, with minimal abnormalities of carbohydrate metabolism.⁸ Diabetic microangiopathy is the term that encompasses all the capillary changes in the diabetic patient.^{5 , 6} The specific dia- betic renal vascular (glomerular) lesions — that is, nodular and diffuse glomemlosclerosis — correlate well not only with the duration . . .