Severe proliferative retinopathy in a young man with diabetes of very short duration.

A 22-year-old man developed typical insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. At the time of diagnosis no signs of diabetic retinopathy were found by an experienced ophthalmologist, but florid proliferative diabetic retinopathy was observed only seven months later. Despite treatment with laser and vitrectomy the eye lesions progressed to total blindness within 30 months after the diagnosis of diabetes.