Vitreous fluorophotometry in children with type I diabetes mellitus

A clinical, biochemical and ocular study was carried out on 17 children with type I diabetes mellitus. Eight had no clinical or angiographic evidence of retinopathy (Stage 0), seven had stage 1, one had stage 2 background retinopathy (Malone's classification) and one had intraretinal microvascular abnormalities. The vitreous fluorescein concentration 3 to 5 mm in front of the macula in those without retinopathy varied from low to abnormally high, while the concentrations in those with retinopathy were above normal. There was no correlation between haemoglobin A1 estimations taken at the time of the study and the vitreous fluorophotometry readings. This variation in fluorophotometry values obtained in diabetics with stage 0 disease differs from the findings in previous reports and may be of prognostic value in determining those patients at risk of developing retinopathy, and may be an indication for improving diabetic control.