The normal fundus fluorescein angiogram. IV. A classification of the normal fundus fluorescein angiogram based on angiographic findings in clinically healthy subjects and in diabetics without ophthalmoscopically abnormalities

A comparison of fundus elements in the posterior pole of the eye in a group of 48 clinically healthy subjects and in a group of 17 insulin dependent diabetics showed a significant overrepresentation (P less than 0.05) of hyperfluorescent and hypofluorescent elements among the diabetics, as estimated from serial fundus fluorescein angiograms at 3 examinations during one year. In the diabetics a significant intraindividual variation of hyperfluorescent elements (6/17 eyes) occurred during one year in contrast to the clinically healthy subjects (0/48)-(P less than 0.01). The normal fundus fluorescein angiogram (i.e. in clinically healthy subjects) is characterized by: a wide physiologic variation of the number of hyperfluorescent elements i.e. 0-4 elements or 0-11 elements as assessed with and without a one tailed 10% percentile as an upper limit. Hypofluorescent elements in variable number may occur in 21% (upper limit 10% percentile) or 31% (without an upper limit) of normal eyes. No intra-individual variation of these hyper- and hypofluorescent elements developed during the observation period.