Background diabetic retinopathy

Background diabetic retinopathy showing microaneurysms (small arrows) and hard exudates. The blood vessels can be seen running over the hard exudates (large arrow), indicating that the exudates are due to leakage in the deeper retinal layers (in contrast with soft exudates, which are microinfarcts in the superficial retinal layers with obliterated blood vessels). Many of the hard exudates are clustered around the macula, which is at the periphery at approximately 4 o'clock.