[Does combined pancreas-kidney transplantation modify diabetic retinopathy in type-1 diabetic patients?]

The study group consisted of 30 patients with a functioning pancreas graft of at least 12 months. Fifty-seven eyes were examined; 26 eyes from 15 patients with a non-functioning pancreas graft made up the control group. Three patients were in both groups because their graft was rejected after a 12-month period. The mean age in the study group was 37 years, the mean observation time 38 months. The mean duration of diabetes before transplantation was 24 years and all patients were on kidney dialysis. Retinal coagulation for diabetic retinopathy had previously been performed in 80.7% of the patients. The mean age (38 years), observation time (36 months), duration of diabetes before transplantation (24 years), and incidence of retinal coagulation (84.6%) were comparable in the control group. All patients had regular ophthalmological examinations every 6 to 12 months. This included best-corrected visual acuity, applanation tonometry, slit-lamp examination and dilated binocular funduscopy. Seven 30 degrees fundus pictures of the posterior pole were taken: The images were graded by comparing them with the ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) Group standard photographs. The original Airlie House grading scale was changed because we did not take stereoscopic pictures. Evaluation and grading were done independently by two examiners. The retinopathy score was graded from 0 (no retinopathy) to 11 (no evaluation possible due to opaque media). Visual acuity remained stable in both the study and control groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)