Table 1.

 Classification of diabetic retinopathy and outcome from the UK National Screening Committee on photograph grading guidelines

Classification	Features	Outcome of screening
None	No diabetic retinopathy	Annual screening
Background	Microaneurysm(s) identified clinically	Annual screening
	Retinal haemorrhage(s) +/- any exudates	Annual screening
Preproliferative	Venous beading	Refer
	Venous loop or reduplication	Refer
	IRMA	Refer
	Multiple deep, round haemorrhages	Refer
	Cotton wool spots	Refer
Proliferative	New vessels at disc	Refer
	New vessels elsewhere	Refer
	Preretinal or vitreous haemorrhage	Refer
	Preretinal fibrosis or tractional detachment	Refer
Maculopathy	Exudate within 1 DD of fovea	Refer
	Circinate or group of exudates within macula	Refer
	Any microaneurysm or haemorrhage within 1 DD of fovea	Refer
Photocoagulation	Focal or macular grid	Refer
	Peripheral scatter	Refer
Other lesion	Non-diabetic pathology

Preproliferative is the equivalent of moderate to very severe non-proliferative retinopathy.

DD, disc diameter; IRMA, intraretinal microvascular abnormalities.