Modern aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy

The article discusses current ideas about the pathogenesis, risk factors, and new methods of diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. This disease is a specific microvascular ocular complication of diabetes mellitus and is part of the group of ischemic retinopathies, which are characterized by a significant violation of capillary perfusion, the development of intraocular newly formed vessels and retinal edema. Statistics show that almost 366 million people in the world suffer from diabetes mellitus (IDF Atlas, 2011). According to forecasts, this number is expected to double by 2030, and this global growth will have a huge impact on the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy. Over the past decade, advances in medical technology and the development of new treatment methods have significantly improved the diagnosis and treatment of patients, but nevertheless, diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy remain the leading causes of vision loss.