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Task force proposes universal DR stages
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ORLANDO, Fla. — A simplified system for classifying diabetic retinopathy has been proposed by an international task force of specialists here. The complexity and number of existing classification systems prompted an international effort to standardize the classification system, according to task force members.
Juan Verdaguer T., MD, said there is a need for a “unified scheme” because the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) staging system is not easy to use. Dr. Verdaguer is part of the task force that made its recommendations here during the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology.
The task force designed a five-point scale: no diabetic retinopathy, mild DR, moderate DR, severe DR and proliferative DR. Details are available on the AAO Web site.