DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

PREVALENCE, AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING THE FREE EYE CAMPS FOR CATARACT SURGERY IN SOUTHERN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and
characteristics of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients attending the free eye camps for cataract
surgery held in southern Punjab, Pakistan. Study Design: It was a cross sectional study. Setting:
Free eye camps organized in different regions of the Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Period: July
2004 to June 2015. Material and methods: These community-based eye camps were held by
the Department of Ophthalmology in collaboration of department of Pathology, B.V. Hospital,
Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Participants were interviewed and examined by the ophthalmologists to
determine their demographic characteristics, presence & duration of medical conditions and
the regularity of their visits to eye care providers. All patients screened to have diabetes mellitus
(DM) by pathologists underwent an eye examination through dilated pupils by using direct/
indirect ophthalmoscope and slit-lamp bio-microscope to check for any signs of DR. Main
outcome measure was the presence of diabetic retinopathy and its complications, which was
classified as mild, moderate, severe NPDR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) based
on the clinical examination. Results: Of the 7989 screened patients, 759 (9.5%) had type-II DM.
Of them, 638 patients (84%) underwent eye examination. Mean age of the diabetics was 45.75 ±
8.17 years. Diabetic retinopathy was prevalent in 93 (15%) patients followed by non-proliferative
retinopathy was found in 87 (93.5%) patients and proliferative retinopathy was found only in 6
(6.5%) patients. More male 52 (20.39%) were effected of DR as compare to female 41 (10.7%).
Highly significant association of DR with duration of DM was seen. (P: 0.001). Conclusion: It
is concluded in this study that DR is commonly prevalent in Southern Punjab and the most
common type of DR is non-proliferative retinopathy. DR frequently prevalent in male diabetics
as compare to female diabetics and significant association of duration of DM with DR was
found.