[Diabetic changes in the blood vessels of the iris. A fluorescence angiographic study]

Fluorescence angiography of the iris was performed on 135 patients with diabetes mellitus. The changes in the iris were classified as iridopathia diabetica simplex and iridopathia diabetica proliferans, corresponding to similar changes in diabetic retinopathy. Thus punctata leakage of dye, especially around the pupillary margin, was classified as iridopathia diabetica simplex, whereas additional, angiographically verified new vessel formation was described as iridopathia diabetica proliferans. 123 of 135 patients (91.1%) showed diabetic changes of the iris. Of these 85 (62.9%) had iridopathia diabetica simplex changes and 38 (28.2%) had iridopathia diabetica proliferans changes. The incidence of diabetic iris changes appeared unrelated to age but appeared to increase with duration of diabetes. A correlation between the onset of diabetic vascular changes of the iris and of the retina could not be confirmed: the diabetic changes in the iris vessels can precede those of the retina whereas, on the other hand, almost all patients with a diabetic retinopathia also show an iridopathy. Iris angiography is of clinical value because first signs of diabetic vascular damage can be seen in the iris earlier than in the retina, the iris appearing normal on slit-lamp microscopy.