Retinal vein occlusion in patients with diabetes mellitus in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Abstract

Retinal vein occlusion is an important cause of vision loss. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia increase the risk for endothelial damage or abnormal blood flow and thus associated with retinal vein occlusion. To access the prevalence of retinal vein occlusion in diabetic patients and its association with systemic illness in a tertiary care teaching hospital, Gorakhpur.A descriptive, observational study was done on diabetic patients attending the eye OPD. Consent was taken and patient underwent direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography and fundus fluorescein angiography. Medical history regarding duration of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cerebro-vascular accidents were obtained.The study included 846 patients with type II diabetes mellitus. In this study 6.6% (n=56) patients detected with RVO in which 34(61%) were male and 22 (39%) were female. The mean age was 58 years.78.5% (n=44) of them had BRVO and 21% (n=12) had CRVO. The frequency of unilateral BRVO (n=34, 81%) was more common than bilateral BRVO (n=10, 71%). The frequency of unilateral CRVO was 19% (n=8) and bilateral CRVO was 28.5% (n=4). The duration of diabetes and uncontrolled diabetes affects the occurrence of RVO.Macula involving BRVO was found in 59% (n=26) of patients, suggesting that diabetic patients with RVO has greater risk of severe vision loss due to macular involvement in BRVO.Diabetic patients with history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, CVA were significantly associated with RVO (p< 0.0001).Patients with type II diabetes mellitus carries risk for development of RVO.