Most common ophthalmic complication of diabetes mellitus is

(A) Retinopathy # Most common ophthalmic complication of diabetes mellitus is diabetic retinopathy, with diabetic retinopathy being the most common preventable cause of blindness> Ocular features of diabetes mellitus: Blurring of vision Cataract formation Diabetic pupil Diabetic retinopathy Macular edema Retinal neovascularization Vitreous hemorrhage Retinal detachment Neovascularization of the iris (i.e. Rubeosis iridis) Cranial nerveCN III, IV and VI palsy> Blindness is primarily the result of progressive diabetic retinopathy and clinically significant macular edema.> Diabetic retinopathy is classified into two stages: nonproliferative and proliferative. Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy usually appears late in the first decade or early in the second decade of the disease and is marked by retinal vascular microaneurysms, blot hemorrhages, and cotton wool spots.> Mild nonproliferative retinopathy progresses to more extensive disease, characterized by changes in venous vessel caliber, intraretinal microvascular abnormalities, and more numerous microaneurysms and hemorrhages. The pathophysiologic mechanisms invoked in nonproliferative retinopathy include loss of retinal pericytes, increased retinal vascular permeability, alterations in retinal blood flow, and abnormal retinal microvasculature, all of which lead to retinal ischemia.