Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina’s blood vessels caused by diabetes. It can progress from subtle vascular changes to leakage, abnormal vessel growth, and vision loss.

Hyperglycemia: An abnormally high concentration of glucose in the blood. Persistent high blood sugar drives the vascular injury that begins retinal disease.
Fundus photography: Imaging of the interior surface of the eye, including the retina and optic disc. Retinal photographs reveal hemorrhages, exudates, and other signs used in screening.
Retina: The light-sensitive neural tissue lining the back of the eye that converts light into signals for the brain. Diabetic retinopathy damages the retinal tissue and its supporting blood supply.
Blindness: Severe or complete loss of vision that cannot be adequately corrected. Untreated advanced retinal disease can cause permanent blindness.
Retinal microangiopathy: Disease of the retina’s small blood vessels, including capillary damage and leakage. It describes the early vessel-level changes characteristic of diabetic retinopathy.
Optical coherence tomography: A noninvasive imaging technique that creates cross-sectional views of tissue using reflected light. OCT measures retinal thickening and fluid, especially in diabetic macular edema.
Macula: The central region of the retina responsible for detailed central vision. Damage or swelling here can impair reading and other central-vision tasks.
Tractional retinal detachment: Separation of the retina from underlying tissue when contracting scar tissue pulls it away. Fibrous tissue associated with abnormal vessels can distort and detach the retina.
Diabetic macular edema: Retinal thickening from fluid accumulation in the macula in people with diabetes. Leakage from damaged retinal vessels can swell the macula and blur central vision.
Fluorescein angiography: Retinal imaging performed after intravenous fluorescein dye highlights blood flow and vascular leakage. Angiography can map leakage, capillary nonperfusion, and abnormal new vessels.

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