AIM:To investigate the relation between degree of retinal neovascularization and axial length in patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR).

METHODS:One hundred and forty-six cases(189 eyes)with proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)from December 2012 to January 2015 in our hospital were chosen as the observation group. The patients were received routine eye examination. PDR at stage Ⅳ, Ⅴ or Ⅵ was divided through the fundus fluorescence angiography. At the same time, 146 cases(292 eyes)with diabetes without retinopathy were randomly chosen as the control group. The ocular axial length of the two groups was recorded.

RESULTS:The ocular axial length of observation group was 22.03±0.92mm, while that of the control group was 24.14±0.78mm, and the difference was statistically significant(t=7.272, P=0.024). In the observation group, the degree of retinal neovascularization was lighter when the ocular axial length was longer. There was negative correlation between degree of retinal neovascularization and axial length.

CONCLUSION:Longer axial length has a protective effect for DR in clinical work. Ocular axial length measurement can guide clinical work for predicting diabetic retinopathy.