Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of oral calcium dobesilate(CaD) on diabetic optic neuropathy (DON).Methods The clinical data of 235 eyes of 235 patients with DON diagnosed by examination of ocular fundus were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the subtypes of DON: anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(AION)group(71 eyes of 71 patients), papilloedema group (71 eyes of 71 patients),and neovascularization of disc (NVD) group (93 eyes of 93 patients).The patients in each groups were randomly subdivided into CaD treating group and control group, in which the patients underwent oral administraion of CaD at a dose of 500 mg twice per day or Vit.E at a dose of 10 mg twice per day,respectively.The course of therapy was 6 months and consecutive 2 courses were performed with the 3-4 days interval between the courses; the courses lasted for 6 months.Several parameters (VFD/V),EA/d,NA/d,LA/d) were semiquantitative analyzed 2,4,6,8 months after initial treatment. Repeated ANOVA measures and t test were used as statistical methods.Results In CaD group,VFD/V (0.25plusmn;0.10),EA/d (0.94plusmn;0.53), and LA/d(1.83plusmn;1.12) 2 months after initial treatment was obviously better than the results before the treatment (0.49plusmn;0.13,1.57plusmn;0.71,3.42plusmn;1.88)(P＜0.001), respectively.VFD/V,EA/d and LA/d in CaD group 2,4,6,and 8 months after initial treatment significantly differed from which in the control group (P＜0.01). There was significant difference of VED/V,EA/d,and LA/d between the CaD and control group during the follow-up period (P＜0.01).At each time point in the followup period, there was no significant difference of NA/d among groups and between the treating and control group (P＞0.05).Conclusion Oral administration of CaD can rapidly and remarkably decrease the extent of visual field defect,relieve optic disc edema and lessen the leakage of NVD.