Colour vision in diabetics tested by the Farnsworth-Munsell 28-hue desaturated test

The Farnsworth-Munsell 28-hue desaturated test (FM-28 desat) is a seldom-us ed derivative of the FM-100 panel arrangement test. In this study, we teste d its sensitivity in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus. The patient s were divided into 3 groups, according to whether they had no retinopathy, background retinopathy, or had undergone laser photocoagulation. Their res ults are compared to those of a control group with normal colour vision. Th e results show, in general, an increase in error score with duration of dia betes and with increasing severity of the disease. The errors are mostly no t polarized towards any specific axis of the colour space. The FM-28 (desat ) appears to be a sensitive indicator of the colour deficits associated wit h diabetes and is a viable alternative for clinical testing of colour visio n. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.