AIM: To observe the characteristic of choroidal circulation in diabetics and investigate its changes as well as the relationship between it and the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy(DR).

METHODS: All 45 diabetics were divided into 3 groups: no diabetic retinopathy(NDR), nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR), proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR); and 20 health people were selected to be control group. All subjects were examined by FFA and indocyaine green angiography(ICGA)(Heidelberg retina tomography, Germany)at the same time. The characteristics of angiograph results were comparatively observed and the feature of diabetic choroidapathy were analyzed.

RESULTS:(1)There were no significant differences between DR groups and control group in the central retinal artery(CRA)filling time. There were significant decreases of the choroidal artery filling time in DR groups, compared to the control group(P<0.05).(2)In all DR groups, the more serious DR, the bigger proportion of reverse filling.(3)With more serious DR, the ratio increased gradually in early phase of choroidal filling deficiency angiograph and in the late phase of spot hyperfluorescence.

CONCLUSION: ICGA may be a useful adjunct to FFA in the evaluation of choroidal vascular changes in DR. The research provides that the diabetic choroidal circulation was abnormal before the occurrence of DR, which fully proved the presence of diabetic choroidopathy.