Asteroid hyalosis (AH) is a degenerative eye condition marked by a buildup of calcium and lipids, or fats, in the fluid between your eye’s retina and lens, called the vitreous humor. It’s commonly confused with synchysis scintillans, which looks very similar. However, synchysis scintillans refers to a buildup of cholesterol instead of calcium.
The main symptom of AH is the appearance of small white spots in your field of vision. These spots are often hard to see unless you look very closely in proper lighting. In some cases, the spots might move, but they usually don’t affect your vision. Often, you may not have any symptoms. Your eye doctor will note this condition during a routine eye examination.
Doctors aren’t exactly sure why calcium and lipids build up in the vitreous humor. It’s sometimes been thought to happen alongside certain underlying conditions, including:
AH is most common in older adults and may be a side effect of certain eye procedures. For example, a
The calcium buildup in your eye caused by AH makes it harder for your doctor to check your eyes with a regular eye exam. Instead, they’ll likely dilate your pupils and use an instrument called a slit lamp to examine your eyes.
You may also have a scan on your eyes called optical coherence tomography (OCT). This scan allows your eye doctor to better visualize the layers of the retina in the back of the eye.
AH usually doesn’t require treatment. However, if it does start to affect your vision, or you have an underlying condition that makes your eyes more vulnerable to damage, such as diabetic retinopathy, the vitreous humor can be surgically removed and replaced.
Besides the appearance of small white spots on your vision, AH usually doesn’t cause any problems. For most people, no treatment is necessary. It’s important to continue to see your eye doctor for routine eye exams.