Asteroid Hyalosis | Common Floaters of the Vitreous

Asteroid Hyalosis | Common Floaters of the Vitreous

Asteroid hyalosis is a common finding of the vitreous.   As you can see in beginning of the video, the “asteroid bodies” are creamy white flecks suspended in the vitreous.

Asteroid Hyalosis is Benign

The exact cause of asteroid hyalosis is not known and does not appear to be associated with any particular systemic disease though there may be an association with aging.

 

My experience has been that asteroid hyalosis is a benign finding and not associated with either systemic or eye disease.  As you are able to see in this video, the flecks really move around as they are suspended in the vitreous.

Curiously, in most cases, patients with asteroid hyalosis are completely unaware of the condition, that is, the flecks, or asteroid bodies, do not cause any problems with vision.  Patients usually do NOT complain of floaters.

Asteroid and Floaters

I included this video really to demonstrate the appearance of asteroid hyalosis.  If you listen and watch the video, this patient has been complaining of floaters for many years.  There is no real way to determine if what he is seeing is the asteroid hyalosis or “normal” floaters.

Regardless of what the cause, the floaters had been bothering him for quite a while.  Anything which moves back and forth with eye movement has to be related to the vitreous, hence, a vitrectomy should remove the opacities, aka “floaters.”

Induce PVD

Toward the end of the video, I “induce” or cause a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD).  I inject Kenalog to help me see remaining vitreous.  Unfortunately, the Kenalog is a suspension and is the same color as the asteroid hyalosis.

Though a bit difficult to see, the posterior portion of the vitreous lifts up toward the front of the eye when the PVD is successfully created.

In conclusion, I operated on this patient who had been complaining of longstanding floaters and, as an incidental finding, had floaters (not necessarily from the asteroid).

 

2 Comments
  • Alicia Robinson
    Posted at 18:19h, 05 July Reply

    Hi, I’m 21 years old, have healthy eyes, and floaters for 2 years. I’ve been to several doctors and they said I’m not a candidate for the laser surgery. I’ve been feeling depressed lately and I have these clear transparent floaters that have been scary. I just want some type of relief even if it gets small amounts of the floaters away that are closer to my eves.

    Do you have a age limited for this procedure?

    Thank you

    • Mike Rosco
      Posted at 17:11h, 14 July Reply

      Hey there Alicia,

      Understand your concerns completely. Now that Randy has retired from clinical practice, he’s recommending that those interested in learning more about floater-only vitrectomy contact Dr. Nader Moinfar.

      Email: nmoinfarmd.com

      Hope you get some resolution to your issues,

      Mike Rosco, MD

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