Diabetic retinopathy in Down’s syndrome

Aim—To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in patients with Down’s syndrome and diabetes mellitus. Method—Nine patients with Down’s syndrome and diabetes mellitus were assessed. Factors recorded included type and duration of diabetes, level of diabetic control, blood pressure, urinalysis, and results of ophthalmological examination. Results—The duration of diabetes ranged from 8 to 41 years (mean 17.6 years). All had satisfactory glycaemic control and blood pressure measurements on the low side of normal (mean 106.6/70 mm Hg). One patient had early background diabetic retinopathy. The remainder had no evidence of diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion—The low prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in these Down’s syndrome patients, despite the long duration, is an interesting finding. It suggests some inherent protective factor against the development of diabetic retinopathy in this patient subgroup. (Br J Ophthalmol 1998;82:407‐409) Diabetes is an important cause of blindness in developed countries. The precise cause of diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes mellitus has not been defined. Definite contributing factors include chronic hyperglycaemia 1‐4