Stereoscopic fluorescein angiography in diabetic maculopathy

PURPOSE: To explore the possible differences in the depth location of microaneurysms in focal as well as diffuse diabetic macular edema. METHODS: The density of superficial and deep retinal microaneurysms was assessed using a stereoscopic fluorescein angiographic method. RESULTS: The density of deep retinal microaneurysms was nearly identical in the group with diffuse macular edema (89.9 +/- 28.5 microaneurysms/test grid) and the group with focal macular edema (90 +/- 65.4 microaneurysms/test grid). The density of superficial retinal microaneurysms was significantly lower in the group with diffuse macular edema (22.8 +/- 12.5) than in the group with focal macular edema (47.9 +/- 30.6). The density fraction of superficial retinal microaneurysms was lower in the group with diffuse macular edema (0.19 +/- 0.07) than in the group with focal macular edema (0.36 +/- 0.14). In the group with focal macular edema, areas without edema had a significantly lower density of superficial (6.1 +/- 2.8) and deep (15.6 +/- 7.8) retinal microaneurysms than did areas with edema (superficial: 47.9 +/- 30.6; deep: 90.0 +/- 65.4). In the group with focal macular edema, the density fraction of superficial retinal microaneurysms was nearly identical in areas with (0.36 +/- 0.14) and areas without (0.30 +/- 0.10) edema. CONCLUSION: The development of focal macular edema might be linked to the density of microaneurysms. Diffuse macular edema might be a result of some unknown effect on the deeper retina and/or the choroid.