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CHAPTER 6. BOOKS ON DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

Overview

This chapter provides bibliographic book references relating to diabetic retinopathy. In addition to online booksellers such as www.amazon.com and www.bn.com, excellent sources for book titles on diabetic retinopathy include the Combined Health Information Database and the National Library of Medicine. Your local medical library also may have these titles available for loan.

Book Summaries: Federal Agencies

The Combined Health Information Database collects various book abstracts from a variety of healthcare institutions and federal agencies. To access these summaries, go directly to the following hyperlink: http://chid.nih.gov/detail/detail.html. You will need to use the “Detailed Search” option. To find book summaries, use the drop boxes at the bottom of the search page where “You may refine your search by.” Select the dates and language you prefer. For the format option, select “Monograph/Book.” Now type “diabetic retinopathy” (or synonyms) into the “For these words:” box. You should check back periodically with this database which is updated every three months. The following is a typical result when searching for books on diabetic retinopathy:

•Diabetic Retinopathy: Practical Management

Source: Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven Publishers. 1993. 191 p.

Contact: Available from Lippincott-Raven Publishers. 1185 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. (212) 930-9500. Fax (212) 869-3495. PRICE: $95 (as of 1995). ISBN: 0397511671.

Summary: In this medical textbook, the authors summarize the essentials in evaluating and treating patients with diabetic retinopathy. Ten chapters cover the epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy; the classifications of diabetic retinopathy, including the most recent ETDRS classification of nonproliferative retinopathy; the results of the national collaborative studies involved with the management and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and its complications; the management of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy; the management of diabetic macular edema, particularly the use of

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modified grid laser photocoagulation; the management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy; the indications for vitreous surgery; the indications for fluorescein angiography in the management of diabetic retinopathy; the complications and side effects of treatment; and special cases in the management of patients with various problems associated with diabetic retinopathy, including cataracts, macular edema, and pregnancy. Each chapter includes numerous black-and-white reproductions and references; a subject index concludes the volume.

•For My Patient: Diabetic Retinopathy

Source: San Francisco, CA: Retina Research Fund, St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center. 1992. 69 p.

Contact: Available from Retina Research Fund, St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center. P.O. Box 640350, San Francisco, CA 94164-0350. (415) 668-1000. PRICE: $3.50.

Summary: This large-print, illustrated booklet (full-color photographs and drawings) for patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and their families discusses the characteristics and treatment of this disease, how it affects eyesight, what factors can affect the disease, and what can be done about it. Topics include: how the eye works; the retina; the two types of DR; laser treatment; fluorescein angiography; early diagnosis of background diabetic retinopathy (BDR); laser treatment for BDR; proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR); laser treatment for PDR: vitreous hemorrhage; retinal detachment; closure of macular vessels; preventing DR; emotional factors in diabetes. Detailed answers to a number of commonly asked questions concerning laser treatment and vitrectomy surgery for PDR are included.

Chapters on Diabetic Retinopathy

In order to find chapters that specifically relate to diabetic retinopathy, an excellent source of abstracts is the Combined Health Information Database. You will need to limit your search to book chapters and diabetic retinopathy using the “Detailed Search” option. Go to the following hyperlink: http://chid.nih.gov/detail/detail.html. To find book chapters, use the drop boxes at the bottom of the search page where “You may refine your search by.” Select the dates and language you prefer, and the format option “Book Chapter.” Type “diabetic retinopathy” (or synonyms) into the “For these words:” box. The following is a typical result when searching for book chapters on diabetic retinopathy:

•Eye: Diabetic Retinopathy and Ophthalmopathy

Source: in Sperling, M.A. Type 1 Diabetes: Etiology and Treatment. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press Inc. 2003. p. 393-407.

Contact: Available from Humana Press Inc. 999 Riverview Drive, Suite 208, Totowa, NJ 07512. (973) 256-1699. Fax (973) 256-8341. E-mail: Humana@Humanapr.com. Website: www.humanapress.com. PRICE: $165.00; plus shipping and handling. ISBN: 896039315.

Summary: This chapter on complications of type 1 diabetes that affect the eye is from a book in which well-recognized physicians and researchers review the latest thinking about the causes of type 1 diabetes and the best approaches to treating both its acute and chronic complications. Topics include epidemiology, diabetic eye disease, diabetic retinopathy, and other clinically relevant ocular complications of type 1 diabetes. The authors conclude that there are no cures for the ocular complications of diabetes

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mellitus, but if careful and regular follow up can be maintained by retinal specialists, most patients' retinopathy can be adequately managed with laser treatment. The key to successful treatment is based on the ability to grade retinopathy for which there are explicit guidelines for treatment and follow up. When laser photocoagulation fails, vitreoretinal microsurgery offers the patients with diabetes an opportunity of restoring vision in situations that previously would have inevitably led to blindness. 6 color figures. 1 table. 60 references.