Natural History Nearly all patients with diabetes of 20 or more years' duration will develop some degree of retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy in its earliest stages is characterized by retinal vascular abnormalities including microaneurysms, intraretinal hemorrhages, and cotton wool spots. Advanced background retinopathy. Advanced background retinopathy with clinically significant macular edema. Diabetic retinopathy is broadly categorized as nonproliferative or proliferative.
Neovascular glaucoma can result from new vessels extending from the iris to the trabecular meshwork.
Medical treatment such as aspirin therapy has been evaluated for the prevention and retardation of diabetic retinopathy. Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy with Optic Disc Neovascularization. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy with subhyaloid and vitreous hemorrhage. Neovascularization of the anterior chamber angle is also an indication for laser photocoagulation surgery. Argon laser photocoagulation is the standard, most widely used technique for treating diabetic retinopathy.