J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1980 Dec;21(4):587-596.

Fluorescein Fundus Angiographic Findings in Diabetics

• Kwon JY
• Chung JH
• Kim SH

Abstract

At least 50% of the diabetics are affected by retinopathy in the western world since the 1950s and in Japan since the 1960s. In Korea, the incidence seems to be about 30%. The lower incidence of diabetic retinopathy in Korea may not be related with racial differences but rather with social and economic problems. This study covered 80 Korean diabetics (120 eyes) who were examined by means of the fluorescein fundus angiography and the results were compared with ordinary ophthalmoscopic findings. Diabetic retinopathy was found in 71% of the total studied cases by means of the fluorescein fundus angiography, but only 33% of the cases were recognized having diabetic retinopathy by ophthalmoscopic examination. It is very important to detect vascular changes in their early stage of diabetic retinopathy from view point of treatment. The earliest fluorescein fundus angiographic findings in diabetic retinopathy are microaneurysm, microvascular leakage, and capillary nonperfusion. On the fluorescein fundus angiographic findings, microaneurysm was found in 75 out of 120 eyes studied but only 30 eyes were found to have microaneurysms on the ophthalmoscopic examination. Among the retinal lesions referred to duration of diabetes mellitus, microaneurysms were observed in 13 out of 34 eyes in less than one year duration, and in 31 of 52 eyes during the period from one to five years. Leakage from microaneurysm was found in 18 out of 86 eyes within five years duration. Capillary non perfusion area was found in 10 among 34 eyes in less than one year duration, and 27 out of 52 eyes in one to five years duration. The longer the patient suffered from diabetes, the greater number of eyes showed microaneurysms and capillary non perfusion areas. Of 120 eyes examined by the fluorescein fundus angiography, 53 eyes were found having retinal edema and of 53 eyes, 6(4 patients) showed macular edema but through the ophthalmoscopy, only 10 eyes were found having retinal edema. Retinal neovasculation was found in 7 eyes (4 patients) through the fluorescein fundus angiography but only 5 eyes (3 patieuts) were found by ophthalmoscopic examination. The rate of having macular edema and neovascularization which were revealed through the fluorescein fundus angiographic findings clearly indicates the fact that at least 10% out of toral diabetic retinopathy studied so far are definitely indicative of photocoagulation therapy.

MeSH Terms

Angiography
Capillaries
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetic Retinopathy
Fluorescein*
Humans
Incidence
Japan
Korea
Light Coagulation
Macular Edema
Ophthalmoscopy
Papilledema
Perfusion
Retinaldehyde
Western World
Fluorescein
Retinaldehyde