Cataract

  • Opacification of eye’s crystalline lens
  • Called "cataract" by Greek physicians who thought it looked like a waterfall
  • Caused by aging degeneration of lens protein
  • Also caused by intraocular inflammation, trauma, metabolic and hereditary disorders
  • Patient reports slowly progressive blurred vision in affected eye
  • Vision often improves with pinhole
  • Early cataract visible with slit lamp biomicroscope as golden, gray, black discoloration of lens
  • Advanced cataract visible with ophthalmoscope as loss of "red reflex" in pupil
  • Uncorrected refractive error, corneal, retinal, and visual pathway lesions
  • Dense cataracts, which make pupil look gray or white, are mimicked by vitreous and retinal lesions
  • Refer non-urgently
  • Cataracts are removed surgically through small incisions and ultrasonic fragmentation
  • Posterior lens capsule left behind
  • Plastic lens implant inserted in place of extracted crystalline lens
  • Surgical procedure takes less than 30 minutes and is painless
  • Visual recovery prompt and full in 99% of eyes provided no other reason for subnormal sight
  • Posterior lens capsule remnant may opacify and require laser treatment