A Case of Young Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Undetected by Annual Screening with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy at Presentation

A 23-year-old nurse admitted for acute-onset visual impairment had undergone annual health checkups including postprandial urine glucose testing but had never glucosuria detected. Her fundus occuli showed marked neovascularization and fluorescein leakage compatible with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, necessitating laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy. Her blood concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was within normal ranges. Although the present case is considered rare, clinicians should be alert for possible advanced diabetic chronic complications in young patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus.