[Analysis of diabetic microangiopathy using retinal angiography in 82 children]

Between 1979 and 1983, 116 retinal fluorescein angiographies were performed in 82 insulin-dependent diabetic children aged from 8 to 19 years. Abnormalities were observed in 7% of children with diabetes of less than 5 years duration. Retinal lesions were present in 30% of children with disease of 5-60 years duration. Most of the lesions encountered were capillary dilatations, fluorescein leakages and microaneurysms. The incidence and severity of these lesions increased with the duration of diabetes. Most of them, even of early onset, proved irreversible. It is therefore important to monitor their development by frequent angiographies (every 2 years) and to initiate an intensive treatment of diabetic children from the onset of the disease.