Streaks in the Eye of a Woman with Diabetes

Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

A 54-year-old woman reported a red jagged area of new onset in her right eye, along with many dark red spots and streaks in that eye. She also felt that her vision had become blurrier in that eye.

The patient has had type 1 diabetes for about 10 years; she takes insulin and metformin, as well as lisinopril and atenolol.

The patient's best corrected visual acuity was 20/60 in the right eye and 20/30 in the left eye. She had no iris rubeosis and no cataracts. Funduscopic evaluation demonstrated bilateral mild background retinopathy. The right eye also showed neovascular vessels on the optic nerve head and a large sickle-like preretinal hemorrhage partially overlapping the optic disc and the surrounding retina. Pan-retinal laser photocoagulation was recommended for the patient's proliferative diabetic retinopathy.