Diabetic Retinopathy

Alex Lew

BIOL 125-213

R-3/31/11 (4:30-7:10pm)

Instructor: Dr. A Kaushik

Overview: Diabetic Retinopathy

What is it?

Damage to the eye's retina that occurs with long-term diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (Type I): blood glucose, or blood sugar, is too high due to pancreas not making insulin to help store glucose as glycogen

Diabetes mellitus (Type II): blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high due to the body not making or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood

Overview: Diabetic Retinopathy

Linguistic Breakdown Diabetic- related to

diabetes mellitus

Retino- related to the retina

-opathy- from the greek for pathos (meaning suffering or accident), negatively denoting a disease, or disorder

Effect Blurred vision Floaters Blindness if left unchecked

Overview: Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes retinopathy is basically a microangiopathy J.G. Cunha-Vaz

Angiopathy-disease of the blood vessels Macro- (think arterial

blockage)

Micro- (think blood tiny blood vessels)

Therefore this disease affects the cardiovascular system

Overview: Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes retinopathy is basically a microangiopathy... [wherein] changes are confined to small blood vessels in the form of endothelial proliferation, rare microaneurysms, and signs of impending cellular degeneration in a few vascular branches J.G. Cunha-Vaz

Overview: Diabetic Retinopathy

Breakdown:

Endothelial Proliferation: formation of a large

basement membrane in the

retina

Microaneurysms: occurrence where blood

vessels expand and

rupture

Vascular degeneration: blood vessels in the eye

begin dying eventually blood vessel split ends

Pathophysiology: Diabetic

Retinopathy

Relation:

The hyperglycemic effect pericyte death and microaneurysm leakage, thickening of the basement membrane, increased permeability of the blood-retinal barrier

Pathophysiology: Diabetic

Retinopathy

Effects:

Increased permeability of BBB clouding in vitreous fluid and

exudites floaters, hazy vision

Increased permeability of BBB near macula macular swelling blurred vision

Treatment: Diabetic Retinopathy

Anti-VEGF treatment (at early stages)

Scatter Photocoagulation

Vitrectomy (at late stages)

References: Diabetic Retinopathy

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1043233/pdf/brjopthal00222-0010.pdf (pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy by J.G. Cunha-Vaz)

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp (National Institutes of Health: National Eye Institute: Diabetic Retinopathy)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetestype1.html (National Institutes of Health: National Library of Medicine: Diabetes Mellitus Type I)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetes.html (National Institutes of Health: National Library of Medicine: Diabetes Mellitus Type II)

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v15/n11/full/nm.2052.html (Nature Journal: Activation of PKC- and SHP-1 by hyperglycemia causes vascular cell apoptosis and diabetic retinopathy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiAei3QZe1Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=838qb9v7wR4&NR=1 Dr. Otto BIOL 125 PPTS Special Senses III- Vision and Endocrine

System