Pathophysiology
Causes of retinopathy are varied:
- diabetes - (causing diabetic retinopathy)
- arterial hypertension - (causing hypertensive retinopathy)
- prematurity of the newborn(under the 9 months of human pregnacy) - (causing retinopathy of prematurity)
- radiation - (causing radiation retinopathy; exposure can occur via radiotherapy, accidental exposure, or nuclear accidents/incidents)
- sickle cell disease
- ciliopathy
- direct sunlight exposure - (causing solar retinopathy)
- retinal vein or artery occlusion
- pheochromocytoma
- Hyperviscosity-related retinopathy as seen in disorders which cause paraproteinemia
Many types of retinopathy are proliferative resulting, most often, from neovascularization or the overgrowth of blood vessels. Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new vessels is the hallmark precursor that may result in blindness or severe vision loss or impairment, particularly if the macula becomes affected.
Retinopathy is diagnosed by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist during ophthalmoscopy. Treatment depends on the cause of the disease.
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