Rarity of diabetic retinopathy in patients with acromegaly

We studied 44 acromegalic patients with the use of fluorescein angiography to detect the presence of diabetic retinopathy. We found elements of diabetic retinopathy in only one patient (2.2%). The average patient had a growth hormone concentration of 32 ng/mL (range, 1 to 275 ng/mL) for a duration of 10.5 years (range, three to 26 years). Forty-five percent (20) of our group had glucose intolerance and 14% (six) had elevated fasting blood glucose levels for an average duration of two years (range, one to four years). We conclude that diabetic retinopathy is an uncommon finding in patients with acromegaly and that fluorescein angiography does not reveal cases that were not detected by conventional funduscopic examination.