Asteroid Hyalosis

The eye is like a camera. There are lenses in the front of the eye which focus light onto the back of the eye. In the middle of the eye is a cavity containing a jelly-like substance known as the vitreous. In one out of two hundred people, multiple tiny white spheres are found attached to the vitreous. These small opacities are composed of calcium soaps. This condition known as asteroid hyalosis is found in both eyes approximately 25% of the time and is usually diagnosed after the age of sixty.

Asteroid hyalosis is usually a harmless condition which does not interfere with vision. A person having asteroid hyalosis may notice black floating spots in the visual field of the affected eye, especially in a bright light situation. If the asteroid hyalosis is very significant it may be difficult for the eye doctor to examine the back of the eye. Even in these cases, however, visual acuity is not usually affected by this condition. A special test known as a fluorescein angiogram may need to be obtained in order to visualize the back of the eye. This test involves injecting a dye into the arm and then photographing the back of the eye using special filters. Another way to examine the back of an eye containing dense asteroid hyalosis is with the use of an ultrasound. An ultrasound takes photographs of the back of the eye using soundwaves.

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