A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Skin and mucous membranes
- Eyes
- Inspection (viewing).
- Ophthalmic examination – including determination of visual acuity, examination of the anterior segments of the eye and binocular examination of the retina (retina) with dilated pupil for more accurate assessment of the peripheral retinal portions; in advanced stages of retinopathy also measurement of intraocular pressure [due topossible sequelae: Ablatio retinae (retinal detachment), amaurosis (blindness), hemorrhage into the vitreous, progressive visual field loss].
- Funduscopic findings (ocular funduscopy) in diabetes mellitus:
- Vascular occlusions, microaneurysms (outpouchings of small blood vessels), and retinal hemorrhages (bleeding of the retina).
- Macular edema (accumulation of extracellular fluid in the yellow spot area of the human eye)
- Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DRP): patchy or streaky hemorrhages and microaneurysms, usually also macular edema.
- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy: proliferation of new blood vessels on the retina (retina).
- Funduscopic findings (ocular funduscopy) in diabetes mellitus:
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
