Diabetic retinopathy(DR), one of the most common complications of diabetes, has been widely reported as microangiopathy. However, retinal neurodegeneration was reported to occur early in DR and played a significant role in DR progression. Retinal neurodegeneration in DR was characterized as neuronal apoptosis and reactive gliosis. The mechanisms for its pathogenesis include hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, glutamate excitotoxicity, and inflammation etc. Furthermore, retinal neurodegeneration has a close relationship with the microangiopathy in the pathogenesis of DR.