Clinicopathologic correlations in diabetic retinopathy. II. Clinical and histologic appearances of retinal capillary microaneurysms
G. H. Bresnick, M. D. Davis, F. L. Myers and G. de Venecia
One eye of a 21-year-old patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy
was available for clinicopathologic correlation. The fluorescent spots in a
fluorescein angiogram were correlated with the changes in color fundus
photographs and with the corresponding histologic findings in a trypsin
digest preparation of the retina. A round, regular fluorescent spot was the
most reliable diagnostic indicator of retinal capillary microaneurysms,
although some microaneurysms appeared as irregular fluorescent spots, tiny
fluorescent spots, or dark silhouettes with or without fluorescent halos.
Very large fluorescent spots correlated with very large irregular pouches
that may represent intraretinal neovascularization. Fluorescein angiography
was considerably more sensitive than color fundus photography for the
detection of retinal capillary microaneurysms.
