Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition of Surgically Removed Hard Exudates in Diabetic Macular Edema

Three eyes of 2 patients with diabetic macular edema underwent a vitrectomy to remove subfoveal hard exudates. Fatty acid compositions of hard exudates and plasma phospholipids (PL) as an objective estimation of dietary intake were analyzed. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were relatively consistent in hard exudates and PL, but were less abundant in hard exudates. The hard exudates had lower levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5 omega3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 omega3), which oxidized more readily than other PUFA. Dietary PUFA may be associated with the composition of retinal hard exudates.