Abstract
Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common micro-vascular complication of diabetes. It may lead to impaired vision or even permanent blindness.
Aim of the work: To evaluate the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in children and adolescents with type 1diabetes.
Patients & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, aged 10-20 years attending the diabetes clinic at Alexandria university hospital from March 2012 to April 2013, using fundus examination and retinal images. Demographic and clinical data were recorded included ; age , weight, height, blood pressure, duration of diabetes, treatment, glycated hemoglobin level, sex maturity using Tanner staging, smoking habits and any visual complaints existed was also recorded. The eye findings were classified using the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale.
Results: The overall prevalence of DR among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes was 6%, 4% females and 2% males. The mean age of patients with retinopathy was (15.5±1.05) years, and the mean duration of diabetes was 8.8±0.76 years. Glycated haemoglobin was labile in 4%, and minimally controlled in 2%. Only 1% was receiving insulin treatment in a dose < 0.5 units /kg/day, while the rest of them 5% were receiving > 0.5 units/kg/day. According to their weights, 1% was underweight, 1% was overweight, while 4% were within average weight. All of them had normal blood pressures. According to maturity staging; 5% were stage III while 1% was stage IV. No one was smoker.
Conclusion: The prevalence of DR was (6%).Early detection of DR in adolescents remains important, because it allows the identification of the patients at high risk of progression towards severe stages of DR.

Key words: type 1 diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy in children, Fundus photography.