The abnormal growth of new blood vessels in
Proliferative Diabetic
Retinopathy doesn't re-supply the
retina with a normal blood flow. Instead,
these abnormal vessels may produce other
complications:
Vitreous
Hemorrhage. The new blood
vessels may bleed (hemorrhage) into the
vitreous. If the amount of bleeding is
small, you might see only a few dark spots
or floaters. In more severe cases, blood can
completely fill the vitreous cavity and
block all of your vision. Vitreous
hemorrhage by itself usually doesn't cause
permanent vision loss. The blood often
clears from the eye initially — within a few
weeks or months — and your vision may return
to its previous clarity, unless your retina
is damaged.
Traction
Retinal Detachment.
The new
blood vessels, if not stopped early in their
development, are accompanied by the growth
of scar tissue. The scar tissue can shrink
and pull the retina away from the back wall
of the eye. This causes blank or blurred
areas in your field of vision, even complete
loss of vision in severe cases.
Neovascular Glaucoma. The proliferation
of blood vessels in the retina and vitreous
may be accompanied by the growth of abnormal
new blood vessels on the iris. This can
interfere with the normal flow of fluid out
of your eye and cause pressure in your eye
to build up. The result is
neovascular
glaucoma, a serious complication of diabetic
retinopathy that can cause damage to your
optic nerve and even destroy your eye.
