Fulminant severe retinopathy in a newly diagnosed diabetic without risk factors

Abstract

The authors describe a 26-year-old female developing severe proliferative retinopathy within 2 weeks of diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The patient presented with profound diabetic ketoacidosis, but had no other risk factors for retinopathy. She had marked bilateral myopia which did not protect her from retinopathy. Nine months after diagnosis of diabetes, she has profound visual impairment despite correction for myopia, and has also developed marked autonomic neuropathy and diabetic nephropathy.

Bilateral optic atrophy following diabetic ketoacidosis

“…This case adds to the growing list of optic and retinal complications following DKA. Severe proliferative retinopathy has been described to occur 2 weeks following DKA in a patient with no other risk factor for retinopathy [18]. In the present case, severe hypotension was the major factor for the optic complication rather than acidosis.…”