The magnitude and pattern of Diabetic Retinopathy as seen at three Hospitals in Kigali, Rwanda

Abstract

Objective: -(To determine the prevalence and pattern of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its associations in Diabetic patients attending three main diabetes clinics in Kigali, Rwanda. Design: This was a hospital based cross sectional study. Subjects: A total of 391 patients aged between 14 - 88 years attending diabetes clinics at three hospitals in Kigali during the month of September to mid October 2007 underwent a detailed eye examination. The blood pressure and fasting blood sugars of all the patients were also measured and DR was clinically graded using the DRS/ETDRS guidelines. Results: DR was detected in 114 (29.2%) of the 391 patients with diabetes and 237 (60.6%) patients had never had a fundus exam. Severe non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) was detected in 7 (1.8%) and clinically significant macula oedema (CSME) in 16 (4.1 %) while proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) was found in 18 (4.6%) of all the patients. DR was associated with high blood pressures, long duration of diabetes and high fasting blood sugars. There was no association of DR and sex of the patient. Conclusion: The prevalence of DR among diabetic patients in this study was 29.2%. The number of diabetics who had a fundus examination for the first time was (60.6%). This number is high and there is need for a better referral system for early screening and management of DR in this population