Retinopathy
- Janet M. Torpy, MD, Writer;
- Tiffany J. Glass, MA, Illustrator;
- Richard M. Glass, MD, Editor
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
- HYPERTENSION
- RETINAL DISEASES
The retina lines the back two thirds of the eye and is responsible for receiving visual images. Retinopathy means disease of the retina. There are several types of retinopathy but all involve disease of the small retinal blood vessels. Signs of retinopathy (see photograph) can be seen when the retina is viewed through the pupil with an ophthalmoscope. The January 5, 2005, issue of JAMA includes an article about retinopathy as an early sign of cardiovascular disease.
HYPERTENSIVE RETINOPATHY
Hypertension (high blood pressure) and vascular (blood vessel) diseases can affect the small blood vessels of the retina just as they can affect other blood vessels. Retinopathy may therefore be an indicator of vascular damage elsewhere in the body. Visual changes sometimes develop due to advanced retinopathy and may be a sign of undiagnosed or poorly controlled hypertension. Although rare, blindness may occur.
DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
The most common type of retinopathy is related to diabetes. …
