Diabetic　macular　edema　(DME)　can　appear　in　any　stage　of　the　diabetic　retinopathy　(DR)　and　is　the　leading　cause　of　vision　impairment　in　people　with　diabetes.　Therefore,　the　automatic　analysis　of　DME　plays　a　key　role　in　the　DR　screening　program.　According　to　the　DME　international　clinical　classification　standard,　detecting　and　judging　the　presence　of　hard　exudates　(HEs)　close　or　relate　to　macula　fovea　(MF)　is　a　standard　method　to　assess　DME　in　the　fundus　images.　A　synthetic　improvement　method　based　on　existing　mathematical　morphology　technique　is　selected　for　HEs　detection.　A　novel　method　of　macular　fovea　center　location　is　proposed　based　on　the　directional　local　contrast　filter　and　the　local　vessel　density.　Then　the　optic　disk　region　can　be　easily　located　and　removed　for　reducing　the　impact　to　the　HEs　detection.　Only　the　large　vessel　segmentations　were　used　for　the　vessel　density　calculation.　From　the　testing　results　on　the　169　images　from　HEI-MED　public　dataset,　the　sensitivity　and　specificity　of　HEs　detection　on　image　level　are　100%　and　92.2%,　respectively.　The　accuracy　of　macular　fovea　center　location　reaches　98.　2%.　And　the　accuracy　for　each　DME　classification　is　more　than　88%.　The　proposed　method　would　have　important　clinical　application　potentials.