Effect of pancreas transplantation on diabetic retinopathy: a 20-case report

In order to study the effects of normoglycaemia on diabetic retinopathy, 20 diabetic uraemic patients who underwent a kidney-pancreas transplantation were evaluated before and after surgery (6.9 months and once a year). The control group consisted of 12 uraemic patients who underwent kidney transplantation alone. At each follow-up examination a complete clinical examination and a retinal fluorescein angiography were performed. The eyes with end-stage retinopathy at baseline were excluded from the study. The analysis of the results showed no significant differences in the two groups. The diabetic retinopathy at the moment of the transplantation was already too advanced to benefit from the better glycaemic control.