Overview
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a condition where there is fluid accumulation in the macula, the center part of the retina in the eye. This condition is a complication of long term and uncontrolled diabetes. Diabetes affects the large vessels as well as the small vessels. In this case, diabetes causes retinopathy where there is a growth of small and weak blood vessels in the retina. The weak blood vessels rupture and leaks easily and accumulate in the retina leading to swelling of the retina or also known as macular edema. Diabetic macular edema affects the vision leading to a blurring of vision, double vision, a sensation of foreign body in the eye, reduced color vision, and blindness. Diabetic macular edema can be diagnosed with a fundoscopic examination, visual field test, visual acuity, color blindness test and optical coherence tomography (OCT). It can be treated with laser photocoagulation and injectable medications to reduce the growth of new blood vessels.
