概述
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic disorders in children, with a prevalence of approximately 2 per 1000 schoolaged children in the United States. The prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus increases with age, and the
overall incidence of the disease may be increasing. Although the incidence of type 2 diabetes in children is increasing, there are no data or guidelines regarding
ophthalmic screening in children with this disorder. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most important complications of type 1 diabetes mellitus, representing the leading cause of blindness in young adults. There are 3 main components of a strategy to minimize the risk of visual loss attributable to DR: (1) provide the most effective treatment of the underlying metabolic disorder and its comorbidities; (2) develop optimal treatment modalities for patients with ocular disease; and (3) identify risk factors for the development of ocular disease and implement effective
screening programs to identify at-risk patients. The first 2 have been evaluated in well-conducted, large, prospective trials.
