A study of ocular manifestations of diabetes mellitus in patients attending tertiary care hospital in Pondicherry

Introduction: This study was undertaken to find out the ocular manifestations of diabetes mellitus among diabetics reporting to a tertiary health care facility in Pondicherry. Materials and Methods: Seventy diabetic patients reporting to Ophthalmology outpatient department were studied during the months of August and September 2017. A predesigned questionnaire was used to interview the diabetics, anterior segment examination was carried out using torchlight and slit lamp, and +90D lens was used for fundus examination. The findings were recorded and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Epidata respectively. Result: Most of the study subjects belonged to the age group 41-70 years, literate, employed, and middle income group. Cataract and retinopathy were found to be higher in those with more than 10 years' duration of diabetes. Conclusion: Healthcare providers need to focus their efforts on preventive measures to delay the onset of complications of diabetes. The importance of screening for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy and regular follow-up cannot be overemphasized in order to reduce the burden of disease and its devastating consequences.