Asteroid Hyalosis

Excerpt

Asteroid hyalosis (AH) is characterized by yellow-white brilliant reflecting particles surrounded by tightly adherent fibrils inside the vitreous cavity. These particles are known as asteroid bodies (ABs) due to their resemblance to stars (asteroids) in the night sky. AH was initially called "asteroid hyalitis" by Benson in 1894. However, in the absence of inflammation, the term asteroid hyalosis was introduced later. "Scintillatio albescens or 'nivea" is a term used to describe this entity and was introduced by Wiegmann in 1918. AH is a benign vitreous opacification that does not generally need active intervention. However, accurate clinical diagnosis, the study of the associated ophthalmic and systemic features, pathogenesis, and biochemical composition of AH merit discussion.