[Current understanding of diabetic retinopathy]

The incidence of diabetes continues to increase and it is estimated that the world diabetic population will have doubled in 2010. Diabetic retinopathy, one of the most frequent and precocious diabetes' complications, is increasing too and it represents a major cause of blindness in industrialized Countries. The purpose of this article is to describe the relations existing between the risk factors and the physiopathology of diabetic retinopathy, which may be helpful in taking therapeutic and prevention decisions, for the management of diabetic patients.