Uro/Endo week: diabetic eye diseases + retinopathies

Question 1

Potential eye complications with diabetes

Answer 1

• diabetic retinopathy
• vitreous haemorrhage
• acute optic neuritis
• retinal artery/vein occlusion
• retinal detachment

Question 2

Fundoscopy findings for non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Answer 2

• capillary micro-aneurysms
• dot blot haemorrhages
• hard yellow exudates
• macular oedema

may have flame haemorrhages

Question 3

Fundoscopy findings for pre-proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Answer 3

• cotton wool spots
• venous beading
• growth of intraretinal new vessels

Question 4

Fundoscopy findings for proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Answer 4

• vitreous haemorrhage

- new blood vessel formation

Question 5

Fundoscopy findings for advanced diabetic retinopathy

Answer 5

-retinal fibrosis and detachment

Question 6

What condition is protective against diabetic retinopathy

Answer 6

Down’s syndrome

Question 7

What causes dot-blot haemorrhages

Answer 7

Ruptured micro-aneurysms in deep layers of retina

Question 8

What causes flame haemorrhages

Answer 8

Splinter haemorrhages in superficial nerve fibres (occurs later than dot-blot)

Question 9

What causes hard yellow exudates

Answer 9

Breakdown of blood-retina barrier leading to leakage of serum proteins, lipids from vessels

Question 10

What causes cotton wool spots (soft exudates)

Answer 10

Microinfarction in retinal nerve fibre layer leading to retinal opacification, obscuring underlying vessels

Question 11

What causes venous loops and beading

Answer 11

Increasing retinal ischaemia

most significant predictor of progression to proliferative diabetic retinopathy