Prevalence and distribution of retinal pathologies in patients with chronic kidney disease in a tertiary eye clinic in South India

Abstract

Purpose: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an emerging global health challenge characterized by progressive irreversible damage to the kidneys. The aim is to determine the prevalence and types of retinal pathologies noted in patients diagnosed with CKD presenting to a tertiary eye clinic in South India. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional observational study, electronic medical records of patients with a documented history of CKD between 2019 and 2022 were selected with the help of pre-determined keywords. Basic demographic parameters and the presence of retinal pathologies were documented and analyzed. Results: During the study period, 263 patients with CKD presented to us for ophthalmic examination. Among them, 156 patients were found to have retinal pathologies (59.3%). Thirty patients (19.2%) had unilateral involvement, and 126 (80.8%) had bilateral involvement. The most common retinal pathology was proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (both treatment naïve and status post-pan-retinal photocoagulation) in 110 of 312 eyes (35.2%), followed by non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in 83 of 312 eyes (26.6%). Other pathologies noted were hypertensive retinopathy (7.05%) and retinal vein occlusions (4.1%). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of retinal pathologies in CKD patients, of which diabetic retinopathy is the most common, followed by hypertensive retinopathy. A thorough ocular examination of these patients is essential for timely diagnosis and intervention.

Keywords

• chronic kidney disease
• diabetic retinopathy
• hypertensive retinopathy
• retinal pathologies
• uremia