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Baffled..two differing diabetic retinopathy results

Tracy58

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hi everyone I’m hoping you can shed some light on this for me..I just got the results of my most recent eye check there and was delighted to read I don’t have any signs of diabetic retinopathy! But the results from the eye check I had from the one previous to that said I had early signs of background retinopathy. My question is can you go from having early sign of background retinopathy to having none at all..thanks.
 
I’m hoping the same happens with me. Scared the living daylights out of me seeing the results saying I had background retinopathy. Have to wait until December for my next screening though.
 
Same here, 1st scan picked up BR & the following year all clear.
 
I hope mine is like that on my next one in January next year. I have some background retinopathy I still can't shake the scared feeling. Got my letter on Monday
 
I had yes, no, yes, no, no, no to background retinopathy in successive tests. The technician told me that the test is very sensitive and it comes down to the judgement of the person examining the photos in marginal cases.
 
klogs17 said:
I’m hoping the same happens with me. Scared the living daylights out of me seeing the results saying I had background retinopathy. Have to wait until December for my next screening though.
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I know same here, was sure it was going to more bad news after the previous result. Have looked online and says that any retinopathy damage cannot be reversed
 
Mr_Pot said:
I had yes, no, yes, no, no, no to background retinopathy in successive tests. The technician told me that the test is very sensitive and it comes down to the judgement of the person examining the photos in marginal cases.
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Oh for goodnessake, unbelievable!
 
Tracy58 said:
Oh for goodnessake, unbelievable!
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They examine the photos on a very large high resolution monitor. Tiny imperfections that might possibly be background retinopathy are visible, so some judgement by the operator is necessary. Bear in mind the statement in the letter that accompanies the result. "You do not need treatment at this time and background retinopathy does not affect your sight. However, it is important you manage your diabetes as well as possible to reduce the risk of developing more serious damage."
My experience, and that of many others, is that background retinopathy is no longer detected after HbA1c improves.
 
Another one here who had minor background signs one year and nothing the next. I was told at the time of the positive one that the signs can be so minor, or even uncertain, they are sometimes flagged just to make even more sure at the next one. And improvements in glucose control can heal minor issues too.

Oddly enough the first one after diagnosis was all clear and it was the 2nd after a year of non diabetic levels that was flagged.
 
@Tracy58 - Please have a read of the thread in he link below.

As you can see, several people have experienced this, including myself. At the time I was a DCUK employee, using the account DCUKMod.

In the interim, my eyes have been reporting clear, so I reckon my friend's husband's advice was sound.

My advice would be to keep your blood glucose and blood pressure under decent control and you should be OK.
 
 
Thank you..I’ve found the links to be very informative
 
Yes.. my ex did the same.

I was told last year that I have background retinopathy.. my optician says she can still see that but my official screening is not for a few weeks.. I suspect I will still have it.. but had a long discussion with my consultant about it.. background can go away with good control... or at least be halted
 
The short answer is yes. There are various possibilities that could explain this type of finding:-
  1. Someone may have such a low level of diabetic retinopathy that lesions appear infrequently and it's a matter of luck whether any are present at the time screening.
  2. The original result could be erroneous - some people have a tiny, harmless, pigment deposit which can look like diabetic retinopathy, depending on the level of flash in the photograph. With later screenings, it may become more obvious that it is pigment rather than diabetic retinopathy.
  3. A slightly different (but allowed variation) of the position of the photographs may mean that a lesion can be on the edge of one photograph but not covered in another photograph.
  4. The second result could be erroneus. Bear in mind that one tiny lesion in one eye will change the grade from no diabetic retinopathy to background retinopathy. It's not easy to spot just one tiny lesion and there will always be a small percentage that are 'missed'.
  5. The person may have reduced their blood pressure which puts less strain on the retinal vessels so they are less likely to show damage.
Background retinopathy does not affect your eyesight and does not need treatment. Most people with diabetes will develop background retinopathy at some stage. The bottom line is that the advice to reduce the risk of progression is the same whether you have no retinopathy or you have background retinopathy - maintain good diabetic control.

More detailed adviced about maintaining good diabetic control is given here:- http://diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/prevention/targetsummary.htm
 
My last scan showed one slight bleed, and the technician said it appeared to be healing already.
 
Good to know thanks!
 
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