Abstract: Diabetic optic neuropathy(DON) is on the rise year by year with the increasing prevalence of diabetes and has become a significant cause of blindness and disability in the world. The manifestations of DON include diabetic papillopathy, neovascularization of optic disc, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and optic nerve atrophy. Fundus fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography angiography, perimetry and visual electrophysiological examination have important diagnostic value for DON. The factors affecting DON are complex, including diabetes duration, severity of diabetic retinopathy, blood glucose control and so on. The occurrence and development of DON is related to diabetes-related metabolic regulation, advanced glycation end products, oxidative stress and hemodynamics, which provides a research direction for the prevention and treatment of DON. Retinal photocoagulation, intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF and glucocorticoid,  can effectively prevent the progression of DON and improve the visual function of patients. (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2021, 45: 488-494)

Key words: diabetic optic neuropathy, diabetic papillopathy, neovascularization of optic disc, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, optic atrophy