[Follow-up of early diabetic maculopathy by angiography and fluorophotometry]

We evaluated prospectively for 12 months 22 patients with late-onset diabetes mellitus and minimal retinopathy by fluorescein angiography and fluorophotometry. The study showed that early retinopathy changes were not permanent or invariably progressive, but may regress. Microaneurysm gradings worsened in 24%, improved in 14% and remained stabilized in 62%. Capillary closure worsened in 33%, improved in 10% and remained stabilized in 57%. The evolution of early diabetic maculopathy is slow and irregular, and this study has shown that vitreous fluorophotometry must be included when short follow-up periods of up to 12 months are considered. Finally, eyes with higher fluorophotometry values at entry showed significantly more deterioration during the 12-months follow-up period (p less than 0.05).