Vitrectomy (25G) in a 77-year old patient with asteroid hyalosis - case report

Case report

  • Tomasz Maciejczyk Student Scientific Club at the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2517-2508
  • Antoni Sieńko Student Scientific Club at the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6753-7895
  • Małgorzata Łabuś Student Scientific Club at the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2799-4375
  • Sebastian Sirek 1. Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Silesian Medical University in Katowice. 2. Department of Adult Ophthalmology, Prof. K. Gibinski University Clinical Center of the Silesian Medical University in Katowice https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3138-3011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24292/01.OT.511224
Keywords: Benson's disease, asteroid hyalosis, vitrectomy, pars plana vitrectomy, hemorrhage into the vitreous body

Abstract

Introduction: Asteroid hyalosis, marked by calcified phospholipids in the vitreous body, is usually unilateral and becomes more common with age. It is often asymptomatic but may affect visual comfort.
Materials and methods: A 77-year-old woman with asteroid hyalosis, macular degeneration, and pseudophakia underwent 25G vitrectomy due to significant visual deterioration. Preoperative visual acuity in the right eye was 4/50.
Results: Postoperative visual acuity improved to 5/25 with no complications.
Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of personalized vitrectomy decisions based on symptom severity and comorbidities, even when visual acuity in asteroid hyalosis typically does not worsen.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Spychała M, Omulecki W, Wilczyński M. Treatment outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy in patients with Benson's disease. Klinika Oczna / Acta Ophthalmol Pol. 2016; 118(2): 105-8. https://doi.org/10.5114/ko.2016.71683.

Mishra C, Tripathy K. Asteroid Hyalosis. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing, Treasure Island (FL) 2024 .

Moss SE, Klein R, Klein BEK. Asteroid hyalosis in a population: the Beaver Dam eye study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2001; 132(1): 70-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-9394(01)00936-9.

Scharwey K, Pavlovic S, Jacobi KW. Combined clear corneal phacoemulsification, vitreoretinal surgery, and intraocular lens implantation. J Cataract Refract Surg. 1999; 25(5): 693-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0886-3350(99)00022-x.

Boissonnot M, Manic H, Balayre S et al. Indications de la vitrectomie chez les patients atteints d’une baisse d’acuité visuelle secondaire à une hyalopathie astéroïde [Role of vitrectomy in patients with a decrease in visual acuity secondary to asteroid hyalosis]. J Fr Ophtalmol. 2004; 27(7): 791-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0181-5512(04)96215-8.

Parnes RE, Zakov ZN, Novak MA et al. Vitrectomy in patients with decreased visual acuity secondary to asteroid hyalosis. Am J Ophthalmol. 1998; 125(5): 703-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-9394(98)00031-2.

Ullman DI, Gupta S. Pars plana vitrectomy for dystrophic calcification of a silicone intraocular lens in association with asteroid hyalosis. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2014; 40(7): 1228-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrs.2014.04.022.

Ikeda T, Sawa H, Koizumi K et al. Vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy with asteroid hyalosis. Retina. 1998; 18(5): 410-4. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006982-199805000-00004.

Published
2024-12-31
How to Cite
1.
Maciejczyk T, Sieńko A, Łabuś M, Sirek S. Vitrectomy (25G) in a 77-year old patient with asteroid hyalosis - case report. Ophthatherapy [Internet]. 2024Dec.31 [cited 2026May15];11(4):409-12. Available from: https://www.journalsmededu.pl/index.php/ophthatherapy/article/view/3134
Issue
Vol 11 No 4 (2024)
Section
Surgery and laser therapy

Copyright (c) 2025 Medical Education sp. z o.o.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright: Medical Education sp. z o.o. License allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.

Address reprint requests to: Medical Education, Marcin Kuźma (marcin.kuzma@mededu.pl)