The eyes can be affected in several ways by diabetes mellitus. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes for irreversible blindness in the United States. This retinopathy can occur with either type I or type II diabetes mellitus, usually a decade or so after the onset of diabetes. Proliferative retinopathy is more ominous and is more likely to occur when diabetes mellitus is poorly controlled. Neovascularization of the iris leads to secondary glaucoma with blindness.
Cataracts are more common in diabetics.
This predilection for development of cataracts is felt to result from hyperglycemia leading to accumulation of sorbitol that results in osmotic damage to the crystalline lens. Normal appearance, retina on funduscopic examination. Diabetic retinopathy on funduscopic examination. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy on funduscopic examination. Glaucoma, cupping of the optic disk on funduscopic examination.