Diabetic Retinopathy Proliferative

Introduction and Definition Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is an advanced form of diabetic retinopathy characterized by the growth of new vessels arising from the optic disc, surface of the retina, iris, or anterior chamber angle. It is associated with a significant loss of vision and at least 12 % of the new cases of blindness each year in the United States (Albert et al. 2008). Growth of new vessels at the disc is known as neovascularization of the disc (NVD), whereas origin of new vessels from retinal vasculature elsewhere is neovascularization elsewhere (NVE). As the disease progresses, fibrous tissue around the vessels increases, and when this fibrous tissue contracts, it can lead to tractional retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage, which are the leading causes of visual loss associated with PDR (Yanoff and Duker 2014). The prevalence of diabetic eye disease is steadily increasing. More than 150 million people around the world suffer from diabetes, and this number is expected to double by the year 2030. In the background of this diabetes tsunami, diabetic retinopathy and its complications remain a major medical and social challenge.