Lawan Abdu and Tijjani Bashir Mohammed
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Diabetes Metab
Background: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of diabetic retinopathy and other blinding eye diseases in patients attending the outpatient clinic in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano. Nigeria. Patients and Methods: An analysis was made of all patients seen January to December 2012. Diabetic patient?s record was retrieved and information obtained on patient?s bio data, type and duration of disease, and findings on eye examination. The fundus was examined with direct and indirect ophthalmoscopes, +90 D with slit lamp and fundal photography (in some cases). Retinopathy was graded using the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale (ICDRDSS) Results: There were 293 patients examined consisting of 119 males and 174 females (M: F=1: 1.46). The patient?s age ranged from 20 to 83 years with mean age 43 + 6.2 years. Fifty seven patients (18%) had IDDM, while 236 patients (82%) had NIDDM. A total of 111 patients (38%) had retinopathy. Of these, 27 patients (9.2%) had severe NPDR, and 11 patients (3.7%) had PDR. DR was associated with long disease duration. A total of 17 were patients (5.8%) were severely visually impaired and 19 patients (6.5%) were blind. Blindness was attributable to DR in 4.7%, others had cataract, glaucoma and non glaucomatous optic atrophy. Low vision was attributed to glaucoma, cataract and drusen. Conclusion: Blinding eye diseases are common in patients with diabetes mellitus. Retinopathy is a cause of visual loss although some patients were blind from other causes. Patients need to be screen for retinopathy as well as other eye diseases.
