Pattern of diabetic retinopathy in a referral hospital in resource limited setting; institution based cross-sectional study

Background: Diabetes mellitus comprises a group of metabolic disorders that share the common feature of hyperglycemia. One-third of the global population of individuals with diabetes is estimated to have diabetic retinopathy.Method: The institution based cross sectional study was conducted at Menilik II Hospital from March 2022 to September 2022 GC. A complete eye exam was performed to reach a diagnosis by a retina specialist using a slit lamp microscope coupled with a 90D lens. Data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science.Results: In this study, a total of 222 diabetic patients were enrolled. There were 116 males (52.3%). Diabetic retinopathy was mild in 28 (12.6%), moderate in 58 (26.1%), severe in 23 (10.4%) and proliferative in 60 (27%) patients. Moderate and severe visual impairment was observed in 26 (15.1%) patients; 24 (14.2%) had mild visual impairment, and 53 (31.4%) patients were blind. Among the 163 diabetic retinopathy patients who had fasting blood sugar tests, 109 (66.9%) had poor glycemic control. Among the 56 diabetic retinopathy patients who had Hb A1c measurements, 89.5% had poor glycemic control.Conclusion: Visual-threatening diabetic retinopathy is more common in patients with poorly controlled diabetes and requires multi-sectoral collaboration to decrease visual loss.