Fulminant proliferative diabetic retinopathy in the non-photocoagulated eye following acute renal failure

Abstract

Management of diabetic retinopathy should follow more strict and aggressive rules in patients at risk for severe acute renal impairment. Such patients should be identified and possibly prophylactically laser treated to avoid the severe consequences demonstrated in this case report. A 34-year-old type 2 diabetes patient with a stabilized diabetic retinopathy developed acute and severe retinal decompensation within weeks after acute renal failure complicated his chronic stable renal impairment. Fluorescein angiographic and optical coherence tomographic illustrations of the rapid evolution of the retinal condition are presented. The patient had previously been treated with panretinal photocoagulation in his left eye. After 8 years of regular 6-monthly checked stability, he developed rapid-onset proliferative diabetic retinopathy and macular edema in his right eye within 3 months of his last ocular check-up. Fluorescein angiography showed neovessels and major ischemic areas. Emergency panretinal photocoagulation and a sub-Tenon’s injection were necessary to achieve control of the situation with regression of neovessels and complete regression of macular edema. This case shows that it is imperative for nephrologists to be well informed about a patient’s ocular situation in order to give timely information to the ophthalmologist who can intervene to protect the retina in case of renal failure. On the other hand, the ophthalmologist should be familiar with the renal function of his patient with renal impairment so that he can decide to perform prophylactic retinal panphotocoagulation that should be imperatively considered even without strict indications in patients with renal impairment at risk for further deterioration of renal function, in order to prevent such explosive ischemic and proliferative retinopathy putting vision at risk.