Quantitative Retinal Leakage on Ultra-Widefield Imaging: A New Biomarker for Predicting Diabetic Retinopathy Progression

Highlight

Baseline quantitative leakage index on ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWF-FA) is a significant independent predictor of a 2-step or greater worsening on the Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS) over a four-year period.

An absolute increase in the retinal leakage index of 1% or more at the one-year follow-up mark is associated with a more than two-fold increase in the risk of disease progression and vision-threatening complications.