Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the clinical special feature of diabetic retinopathy with the aged patients.
The fundus of 491 cases with diabetes mellitus who were all over 60 years old were examined ophthalmoscopically and diabetic retinopathys were found in 287 cases (58.5%). In these cases, the proliferative diabetic retinopathys were observed in 32 cases, and these retinopathy which had occured at over 60 years old of these patients at first, was observed in 203 cases (70.7%). There was no difference between the female ratio of complication for diabetic retinopathy and the male ones, because the female ratio was 58.0% and the male ratio was 58.4%.
Among those 153 cases in whom the slight grade of arteriosclerotic retinal changes had been found, the complication of diabetic retinopathy was observed in 69 cases (45.1%), but the others 19 cases who had been found the severe grade of sclerotic changes, the complication of diabetic retinopathy was observed in 17 cases (89.5%). In these cases, such complication of diabetic retinopathy correlated with the progression of arteriosclerotic retinal changes; a conclusion having the confidence level of more than 99.9%. However, no relation was found between the complication of diabetic retinopathy and the progression of hypertensive retinal changes.
In the meanwhile, among these cases, such complication of diabetic retinopathy correlated with the change for the worsening of blood sugar level control, and the albuminuria occured to than together with diabetic retinopathy.
On the other hand, among 177 cases whose fundus had been repeatedly examined for more than two years since diabetic retinopathy was first observed, the progression of diabetic retinopathy was observed in 57 cases (32.2%) by the last examination, but the improvement of diabetic retinal changes as also observed in 70 cases (39.5%) by the last examination.
It may be concluded, therefore, that the arteriosclerotic changes of the retina might be one of the occurrence or progressive factors of diabetic retinopathy, and that in order to prevent the complication of diabetic retinopathy and to cure the same, it is required that blood sugar level should be controlled and cure the arteriosclerotic changes.
