The prevalence of retinopathy in insulin-dependent juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus--a fluorescein-angiographic study.

A fluorescein-angiographic study was performed comprising all 171 insulin-dependent diabetics with debut at less than or equal to 40 years of age who were census registered on the island of Gotland 1981-82. Children under 15 years of age were excluded. The overall prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 66%, being 11% at 0-5 years duration of diabetes, 42% at 6-10 years, 84% at 11-15 years, 90% at 16-30 years and 100% after 30-years duration. Proliferative retinopathy was first seen after 11 years duration, it had a prevalence of 18% and was twice as common in females as in males. Neovascularization was seen in 25% of patients with IDDM debut at less than or equal to 20 years of age and in only 7% of those with IDDM debut at 21-40 years (P less than 0.01). Pigment epithelial defects were found in 91 subjects (56%).