The role of fluorescein angiography in national collaborative studies

Over the past 20 years, fluorescein angiography has demonstrated its value in the diagnosis and management of most diseases of the retinal vessels and choroidal vessels, including diabetic retinopathy, aging macular degeneration, and venous occlusive disorders. Fluorescein angiography has become so important for diagnostic purposes and for laser management that it has become a standard technique in the authors' most carefully performed clinical research studies such as randomized clinical trials. These clinical trials demand fluorescein angiography not only for diagnosis and eligibility of patients, but also to document the adequacy of laser photocoagulation. The use of fluorescein angiography has encouraged the development of newer photographic techniques and has encouraged a commendable level of expertise among photographers. Experience with fluorescein angiography in clinical trials has led to the development of general guidelines for the use of angiography for the management of patients outside the confines of a clinical trial; we emphasize the importance of recent angiography as a general guideline for all patients with macular edema or choroidal neovascularization before consideration of laser photocoagulation.