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Abstract #6807 Published in IGR 4-1
Ophthalmic examinations in patients with diabetes mellitus
Takahashi K; Takahashi EFolia Ophthalmologica Japonica / Nihon Ganka Kiyo 2001; 52: 850-854
PURPOSE: To determine the rate of performance of ophthalmic examinations consisting of funduscopy after mydriasis (dilated eye examinations) in diabetics, the problems and complications associated with these examinations, and the characteristics of diabetics who did not undergo dilated eye examinations. METHODS: The medical records of patients with diabetes mellitus who visited the Narimasu Takahashi Ganka Eye Clinic between December 1994 and April 2000 were reviewed. RESULTS: The medical records of 409 patients were reviewed. The actual rate of performance of dilated eye examinations for diabetics was 94.1%. The reasons for not performing the examination were failure to attend the second appointment (66%), refusal of the patient to undergo the examination (17%), and other (17%). The rate of referral from general physicians was lower in the non-examined group. To prevent the occurrence of acute angle-closure glaucoma attacks, laser iridotomy (LI) was performed before the examination for 40 eyes of 21 patients with narrow-angle or primary angle-closure glaucoma. Although no glaucoma attack was seen in the LI group, acute angle-closure glaucoma attacks occurred in 2 eyes of 2 patients, out of 727 eyes (364 patients) who did not undergo LI. CONCLUSIONS: Dilated eye examinations were not performed in all diabetic patients seen during the study period. Ophthalmologists are strongly urged to advise general physicians to refer their diabetic patients to ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists are urged to perform dilated eye examinations. At the dilated eye examination, the ophthalmologist should watch closely for any complication and should perform LI before the examination in patients at risk of an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack.
Dr. K. Takahashi, Narimasu Takahashi Ganka Eye Clinic, 1-13-6 Narimasu, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 175-0094, Japan
Classification:
9.4.15 Glaucoma in relation to systemic disease (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.4 Glaucomas associated with other ocular and systemic disorders)
