Fig. 24 Rapid progression of diabetic retinopathy following cataract extraction. A. Five weeks following uneventful extracapsular cataract extraction, this 44-year-old patient with insulin-dependent diabetes of 30 years' duration developed a severe drop in vision to 20/400 (6/120) with multiple cotton wool spots and iris neovascularization. B. Iris angiogram shows early neovascularization in early, mid, and late phases of the angiogram. Prompt panretinal photocoagulation prevented frank neovascular glaucoma.