About Asteroid Hyalosis
Asteroid Hyalosis is a degenerative eye condition in which fatty globules consisting of calcium and phospholipids collect within the vitreous humor. The refractive properties of these opaque bodies in the eye impart the “stars in a night sky” appearance. Usually asymptomatic; in severe cases, asteroid hyalosis can affect visual acuity.
While asteroid hyalosis is generally not known to contribute to vision loss, this disorder poses a challenge to the examining physician because it can obscure details of the underlying retina and can interfere with proper diagnosis. Ophthalmoscopy, retinal screening and retinal imaging techniques are all blocked from viewing the retina clearly by these asteroid bodies. This is especially problematic for patients who are being managed for retinal disease (e.g., proliferative diabetic retinopathy and clinically significant macular edema, etc.). Because the asteroids do not resolve spontaneously nor show day-to-day variation, the only treatment possible is the more serious procedure of surgical removal of the vitreous humor (vitrectomy).
In the U.S., there are approximately 1.6 million people with asteroid hyalosis. Of those, less than 25,000 are retinopathy cases where surgical vitrectomy would be a necessary procedure.