Diabetic maculopathy. Ophthalmoscope view of the retina of a diabetic patient showing retinal maculopathy. The retina is orange; red blood vessels and nerves emerge from the yellow optic disc (at right). Yellow patches are seen covering the macula (at centre left), the most light- sensitive region of the retina. Diabetic retinal maculopathy is caused by damage to the blood supply of the retina that occurs as a complication of diabetes. These yellow patches are hard exudates which leak from blood vessels that have become permeable due to diabetes. Once over the macula, the exudates can cause irreversible vision loss.