This study was designed to compare the change of renal function before and after fluorescein angiography in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

This study included 80 patients diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy who did not receive dialysis from April 2004 to December 2014. Based on retrospective analysis of a blood test performed within one week before and after fluorescein angiography, the changes of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured. Additionally, the effect of fluorescein angiography on renal function was estimated according to chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage.

The average BUN/SCr before and after fluorescein angiography was not statistically significantly different before and after fluorescein angiography. The average eGFR before and after fluorescein angiography increased from 62.62 ± 31.59 to 66.46 ± 31.22 ( p = 0.006). Regarding changes in renal functions according to CKD stage, based on the average eGFR in CKD stages 5, 4, 2, and 1, no significant differences were observed in renal functions before and after fluorescein angiography, whereas eGFR was significantly increased after fluorescein angiography at CKD stage 3 ( p = 0.042).

In patients with diabetic retinopathy, BUN/Scr and eGFR were not significantly different before or after fluorescein angiography. Moreover, the deterioration of renal function was not observed at any CKD stage. Therefore, fluorescein angiography is a relatively safe diagnostic examination in patients with diabetic retinopathy who did not receive dialysis due to the low-risk of renal function deterioration.