Treatment of cataract in diabetics with and without retinopathy.

The results of cataract surgery in diabetic patients was reviewed. The visual outcome was good in the absence of retinopathy and was not significantly different from that of non-diabetic patients. Eyes with retinopathy achieved significantly worse visual results and the prognosis was related to the severity of retinopathy. Clinical cystoid macular oedema occurred significantly more frequently in eyes with retinopathy than without and there were significantly more eyes with retinopathy which became blind or partially sighted. The use of a Projectoscope for assessing the amount of degradation of an image was tested. A good correlation was found between the amount of blurring of the test target and the drop in visual acuity. The optimal type of cataract surgery is discussed and lines of management outlined.