Multimodal Imaging of Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose Of Review: Diabetic retinopathy is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of blindness throughout the world. Ocular imaging continues to play a vital role in the diagnosis, management and monitoring of diabetic retinopathy. Major technological advancements in imaging over the past decade have improved our understanding and knowledge of diabetic retinopathy and therefore a multimodal approach to imaging has become the standard of care.

Recent Findings: Updates to traditional technologies such as digital fundus photography along with recent advancements in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) have provided clinicians with new information and improved efficiency.

Summary: In this review, we describe the benefits and clinical applications of several imaging techniques in diabetic retinopathy including color photography, fluorescein angiography, OCT, OCTA and adaptive optics. Understanding the indications and limitations of each technology allows clinicians to gain the most information from each modality and thereby optimize patient care.