eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2016-06-20 12 Spl.Edn.2 129 133 10.13005/bbra/2183 12851 article Aghadoost Hamidreza 1 Aghadoost Dawood 2 Medical student, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Kashan Trauma Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R. Iran. Diabetic ophthalmoplegia is a complication of diabetic mellitus. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical characteristics and severity of retinopathy in diabetic patients with cranial nerve (CN) 3,4 and or 6 palsies involvement. This descriptive study included 96 patients with diabetic ophthalmoplegia who were treated in Matini hospital of Kashan, Iran during the years 2004-2012. Demographic and clinical data including type of DM, stage of diabetic retinopathy, involved cranial nerve, and duration of resolution were examined. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 16.0 Software. The result showed that 96 patients 54(56%) were male and 42 (44%) were female. The frequency of 6th nerve involvement was 50(52%), 3rd nerve 41(43%) , and 4th nerve 5(5.2%). There was no statistically significant association between the stage of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic ophthalmoplegia (P=0.92). Based on the result of this study, diabetic ophthalmoplegia more frequently involves 6th cranial nerve and rarely 4th nerve. Diabetic patients with cranial nerve palsies (3,4 or 6) may have mild retinopathy. This may imply a different pathophysiologic mechanism for these two microvascular complications of DM. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol12_nospl_edn2/retinopathy-surgery-in-patients-with-diabetic-ophthalmoplegia-in-the-city-of-kashan/ Diabetes Mellitus; ophthalmoplegia; Diabetic retinopathy