Diabetic Retinopathy – Features of Diabetes : Neovascularisation

As the retina becomes more ischaemic new blood vessels may arise from the optic disc or in the periphery of the retina. The vessels usually originate from large veins and are initially seen as fine tufts on the surface of the disc…

or from the vessels of the major arcades of vessels…

The new vessels are fragile and bleed easily, hence the importance of proliferative retinopathy.