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Diabetic Macular Edema

  • Chapter
Diabetic Renal-Retinal Syndrome

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy remains one of the four major causes of blindness in the western world [1], [2]. Blindness from diabetic retinopathy results from consequences of proliferative diabetic retinopathy and from diabetic macular edema. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is more likely than macular edema to cause rapid and severe loss of vision. Without treatment, eyes that develop proliferative diabetic retinopathy have at least a 50% chance of becoming blind within five years [3], [4]. Appropriate application of treatments that have been developed in the last three decades can reduce this risk of blindness to less than 5% [5]. Although the proportion of persons with diabetic macular edema that become legally blind is less than that for those who develop proliferative diabetic retinopathy, the treatments for diabetic macular edema are not as effective in preventing vision loss in those affected. At best, current treatments reduce the risk of blindness by about 50% [6]. New treatments, both medical and surgical, are needed if we are to reduce blindness from this complication of diabetic retinopathy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biometery and Epidemilogy, National Eye Institute, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2510 Bldg.31 Room 6A52, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2510

    Frederick L. Ferris III M.D. (Director)

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  1. Frederick L. Ferris III M.D.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Downstate Medical Center, State University of New York, New York, USA

    Eli A. Friedman M.D.

  2. Colombia University, New York, USA

    Francis A. L’Esperance Jr. M.D.

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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Ferris, F.L. (2002). Diabetic Macular Edema. In: Friedman, E.A., L’Esperance, F.A. (eds) Diabetic Renal-Retinal Syndrome. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0614-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0614-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3930-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0614-9

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