Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy in a Population of Diabetics From the Middle East With Microvascular Ocular Motor Palsies.

BACKGROUND

Vascular risk factors are increasing rapidly in the Middle East. Growing inactivity and obesity have contributed to an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in the Arab population. Microvascular palsies of the third, fourth, and sixth cranial nerves, which occur in an isolated manner, are relatively common in patients with DM, hypertension, or other vascular risk factors.

METHODS

In this retrospective analysis, patients with diabetes with microvascular palsies were assessed for the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR). We compared these data with the prevalence of DR in the general population of diabetics in Saudi Arabia and to a similar published study done in an American population.

RESULTS

In total, 126 patients with diabetes were included in the study. The sixth nerve was most frequently involved in 67 patients (53%). Seventy-seven patients (61%) had DR, compared with 49 (39%) without DR. The prevalence of DR in the general population of Saudi patients with diabetes ranged from 30% to 36.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated a higher prevalence of DR in patients with microvascular palsies compared with the general population of patients with diabetes in the Arab population. This is in contrast to a previous study in an American population. Our results might be secondary to differences between the 2 populations, in particular, the continued increase in the prevalence of vascular risk factors (mainly diabetes) and poor control of these risk factors in the Middle East.