Correlation of asteroid hyalosis with diabetes mellitus in adult Sudanese diabetic patients

Abstract

Background: Asteroid hyalosis (AH) is a common degenerative process in which tiny calcium-pyrophosphate globules collect within the vitreous gel. The etiology of AH is not clearly understood, but it is associated with some systemic diseases. The correlation between AH and diabetes mellitus (DM) remains controversial. Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of AH in adult diabetic patients and to find its correlation to type and severity of diabetic retinopathy, age, and sex. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 380 adult diabetic patients, history and clinical ocular examination were done for all patients, and AH was diagnosed clinically by the presence of cream-white spherical bodies within the vitreous. B-scan ultrasonography was done for grading of AH. Results: AH was found in 97 (25%) adult diabetic patients. It was unilateral in 80.4%. Its presence increased significantly with increasing age; 64% were >60 years old (P = 0.001). It is significantly increased in male patients with a ratio of 1.8:1. It was a severe and obscured fundus view in 6.2%. All patients had type II DM except 2 (2.1%) had type I. One hundred and sixteen eyes with AH were examined and 44.8% of them had proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR: high-risk DR). There is a statistical correlation between AH and hypertension (HTN) (P = 0.006) and hypercholesterolemia (P = 0.001). Conclusion: AH was found in 25% of diabetic patients which is higher than in normal population. There were significant correlations with age, male gender, high-risk DR, HTN, and hypercholesterolemia.