Sestre Milosrdnice University hospital and Institute of Clinical Medical Research
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy is the fifth leading cause of blindness in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the number of blind persons in the Split-Dalmatia County in the 2000-2010 period and how many of them are blind due to diabetic retinopathy. Records of 160 members of the Association of the Blind in the Split-Dalmatia County, enrolled from 2000 to 2010, were retrospectively analyzed. The leading causes of blindness were diabetic retinopathy (25.6%), glaucoma (13.1%), retinal dystrophy (16.2%), and age related macular degeneration (11.8%). The annual incidence of blindness was 8.4/100,000 inhabitants. The largest number of the blind were found in the 70-80 (21.2%) to >80 (24.3%) age group. Diabetic retinopathy was the cause of blindness in 24 (15%) men and 17 (10.6%) women. The annual incidence of diabetic retinopathy was 2.16 per 100,000. No case of blindness due to diabetic retinopathy was diagnosed in patients younger than 30 years of age, while the highest prevalence was found in the 70-80 age group (34%). Proliferative diabetic retinopathy was the cause of blindness in 92.7% and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy in 7.3% of cases. Study results show that diabetic retinopathy remains the leading cause of blindness. Early identification of high-risk patients is the key factor in prevention and timely detection of ophthalmoscopic changes, thus enabling effective and duly treatment.Dijabetična retinopatija je peti najčešći uzrok sljepoće u svijetu. Cilj ove studije bio je istražiti broj slijepih u Splitskodalmatinskoj županiji u razdoblju od 2000. do 2010. godine te istražiti koliko je slijepih zbog dijabetične retinopatije. Retrospektivno smo analizirali 160 članova Udruge slijepih Splitsko-dalmatinske županije koji su registrirani između 2000. i 2010. godine. Najčešći uzroci sljepoće su: dijabetična retinopatija (25,6%), glaukom (13,1%), distrofija mrežnice (16,2%) i staračka makularna degeneracija (11,8%). Godišnja incidencija sljepoće je iznosila 8,4/100.000 stanovnika. Najveći broj slijepih je bio u dobnoj skupini od 70-80 godina (21,2%) i >80 godina (24,3%). U 24 (15%) muškarca i 17 (10.6%) žena sljepoća je bila uzrokovana dijabetičnom retinopatijom. Godišnja incidencija dijabetične retinopatije je iznosila 2,16/100.000 stanovnika. Nije pronađen niti jedan slučaj sljepoće uzrokovane dijabetičnom retinopatijom u dobi ispod 30 godina, dok je najveća učestalost nađena u dobnoj skupini od 70-80 godina (34%). U 92,7% slučajeva uzrok sljepoće je bila proliferativna dijabetična retinopatija, a u 7,3% neproliferativna dijabetična retinopatija. Ova studija ukazuje na dijabetičnu retinopatiju kao vodeći uzrok sljepoće. Rano otkrivanje rizičnih skupina je osnova prevencije i pravodobnog otkrivanja oftalmoloških promjena, na temelju čega se može pravodobno započeti s odgovarajućim liječenjem
