Study of morphological type of cataract in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients at a tertiary care centre in Karnataka

Abstract

Objective: To determine the morphological type of cataract seen in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Methods: Cross sectional study carried out at a tertiary eye care centre in North Karnataka from2012 to 2014. All patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus 40 years and above diagnosed as per WHO criteria were enrolled. A detailed demographic and complete ocular examination was done. Examination of anterior segment by slit lamp biomicroscopyand grading of lens opacity was done after full dilatation of pupil according to the Lens Opacity Classification System (LOCS) III system. The severity of the lens opacities, according to the photographic standards, was separated into three major groups: nuclear cataract(NC), cortical cataract(CC), and posterior subcapsular(PSC). Results: Out of the 750 patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus enrolled in our study, 492 patients had cataract and 258 had no cataract. 242(60.35%) were males and 250(71.63%) were females. Prevalence of cataract in Type 2 Diabetes was 65.60%.Mixed cataract was seen in 70.52% and monotype in 29.48% patients. A combination of nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular cataract had highest incidence with 42.26% followed by cortical cataract with posterior subcapsular 33.43%, nuclear cataract and cortical cataract in 13.83% and lowest incidence was with nuclear cataract and posterior subcapsular cataract with 5.48%. Among the monotype cataract 68.28% of patients had cortical cataract, 25.52% had nuclear cataract and 6.21% had posterior subcapsular cataract. Conclusion: In our study two thirds of the diabetic population showed evidence of cataract and mixed type of cataract was the most commonly seen.