Frequency of Diabetic Retinopathy in patients with Type-II diabetes mellitus in an upscale clinic in Karachi.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study is to measure the current frequency of diabetic retinopathy in Karachi and the stage at which they present first to the outpatient department. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: A private clinic setup in Karachi. Period: 1^st July 2015 to 30^th June 2016. Material & Methods: In this study, 440 eyes of 220 diabetics were included and frequency of diabetic retinopathy was measured. Individuals ranging from 20 – 80 years age were included. Ophthalmic plus systemic relevant history from every patient was taken in detail. Standard Snellen’s chart was used to check the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Slit lamp examination was done along with fundoscopy with +90D and +70D lens after dilatation with Tropicamide 1%. All patients were examined for diabetic retinopathy. Along with it, stage of diabetic retinopathy, association of diabetic retinopathy with hypertension, age and duration of diabetes was also taken into consideration. Results: The frequency of diabetic retinopathy amongst 220 patients was found to be 15.9% while 6.6 % of them were also having associated maculopathy. The stages of diabetic retinopathy were found to be 10.4% background diabetic retinopathy(BDR), 0.9% preproliferative diabetic retinopathy(PPDR), 3.4% proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR) and 1.1% advance diabetic eye disease(ADED). Overall, 58.5% of the patients also had hypertension along with it. Conclusion: Nationwide studies are needed to be conducted to prevent this complication from progressing while the incidence of diabetic retinopathy is increasing very alarmingly among the society.