title: Use of oral fluorescein angiography in the diagnosis of macular oedema within a diabetic retinopathy screening programme.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess if oral fluorescein angiography (OFA) is a suitable screening method to detect macular oedema in diabetic retinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four diabetic patients were included in the study. They were from a consecutive series of patients attending the diabetic eye-screening clinic, with retinopathy at the macula requiring ophthalmology assessment. All patients were subsequently examined in the eye hospital, by ophthalmologist slit lamp biomicroscopy assessment as the gold standard, followed by oral fluorescein angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study indicates a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 81%. Only 4.8% of patients developed a minor reaction to oral fluorescein; 84.5% of images were of good quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral fluorescein angiography is an efficient and highly sensitive tool for the detection of macular oedema. It can be used as an adjunct in the diabetic screening service to identify patients with oedema within a disc diameter of the macula. Ultimately it will ensure that only necessary and smaller numbers of patients are referred to ophthalmologists.
authors.affiliation: Birmingham City Hospital NHS Trust and Birmingham Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham, UK. fgsummerfield@cs.com
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Razvi
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Kritzinger
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Tsaloumas
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ryder
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008403:Mass Screening; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019793:Fluorescein