title: Vitrectomy in patients with decreased visual acuity secondary to asteroid hyalosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of vitrectomy in patients with decreased visual acuity solely attributable to asteroid hyalosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with asteroid hyalosis and identified those who underwent vitrectomy for symptomatic asteroid hyalosis alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After vitrectomy, nine of 10 eyes (10 patients) had at least 1 line of improvement in nonstandardized best-corrected visual acuity. In one eye, vision was unchanged postoperatively. The average gain was 3.44 lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A small percentage of patients with asteroid hyalosis have decreased visual acuity caused solely or primarily by the asteroid hyalosis. Vitrectomy in these patients may alleviate symptoms and improve visual acuity.
authors.affiliation: Everett and Hurite Ophthalmic Association, USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Parnes
authors.forename: Z N
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Zakov
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Rice
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000601:surgery*