Full-field ERG in diabetic retinopathy: a screening tool?

Excerpt

Diabetes mellitus and its complications remains one of the major public health priorities of the modern era. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a frequent and major sight-threatening complication with increasing prevalence. In the US, projections of the National Eye Institute indicate that from 2010–2050, the number of Americans with DR is expected to nearly double, from 7.7 million to 14.6 million [1]. An important aspect of increased DR prevalence is that, in most cases, DR is subjectively asymptomatic until it has caused profound and often irreversible damage and visual loss. Therefore, development of objective methods to detect changes in retinal function and correlating them with the severity and progression of DR is important, providing a potentially beneficial approach either as an add-on to existing screening or as a guide in therapeutic decisions during the course of the disease. …