Diabetic Macular Edema

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus and its systemic and ophthalmic complications represent an enormous public health threat in the 21st century. The ophthalmic complications of diabetes are the leading cause of blindness in adults. Numerous major clinical trials have demonstrated that complications of diabetes, including diabetic eye disease, can be reduced with adequate control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels, but unfortunately, as many as 30% to 40% of patients with diabetes are currently undiagnosed and are not being monitored and treated to control their disease and prevent systemic complications.

 One of the most common causes of vision loss in patients with diabetes is diabetic macular edema (DME). All patients with diabetes are at risk of developing DME. The onset is usually insidious and painless, and manifests with blurring of central visual acuity. The severity may range from mild and asymptomatic to profound loss of vision.