Diabetic retinopathy: methodologies in practice.

In France, 20% of patients with diabetes are monitored by diabetologists, and of these 88% are screened for retinopathy by fundal examination with dilation of pupils and 78% by fluorescein angiography. Colour retinal photography is performed in 24% of cases. Eye examination is performed every year in 85% of patients. Diabetic retinopathy is generally considered to be a vascular disease causing loss of vision by macular oedema, vitreous haemorrhage or retinal detachment. However, it may also be a neurosensory disorder, with functional changes occurring before anatomical vascular abnormalities. These include changes in colour vision, contrast sensitivity, dark adaptation, visual-evoked potentials, electroretinography, nyctometry, and fluorometry. The majority of these methods have a predictive value for the late onset of retinopathy in diabetic patients.