advertisement
Abstract #18410 Published in IGR 3-3
Exfoliation syndrome as a risk factor for cataract development: five-year follow-up of lens opacities in exfoliation syndrome (1)
Puska P; Tarkkanen AHAJournal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2001; 27: 1992-1998
PURPOSE: To ascertain whether the exfoliation syndrome (EXS) is a risk factor for cataract development. METHODS: This prospective study examined the development of lens opacities using the Lens Opacity Meter. Visual acuity and refraction were measured in both eyes of 63 nonglaucomatous patients with clinically unilateral EXS. After five years, 46 patients were available for follow-up. Case histories of 14 patients were recorded. RESULTS: During the five-year study, the rate of conversion to bilateral disease was 22% and to exfoliative glaucoma, 30%. At the start of the study, the mean lens opacity was 23.5 opacity units (OU) ± 6.7 (SD) in EXS eyes and 22.9 ± 7.2 OU in fellow, initially nonexfoliative (NE) eyes; the difference was not significant. After five years, the mean opacity was 30.0 ± 8.8 OU in EXS eyes and 26.9 ± 8.3 OU in NE eyes (p < 0.001). In patients who remained unilaterally affected, the EXS eye had a higher opacity value than the NE eyes at the start of the study (23.6 ± 7.3 OU and 22.7 ± 7.2 OU, respectively) (p < 0.05) and after five years (29.9 ± 9.0 OU and 27.0 ± 8.5 OU) (p < 0.01). There was a significant myopic change in refraction over time in both groups. The mean refraction in EXS eyes was +1.02 ± 2.48 diopters (D) at the start and +0.11 ± 3.06 D after five years (p = 0.0001) and in NE eyes, +0.99 ± 2.25 D and +0.43 ± 2.55 D, respectively (p < 0.01). At the start of the study, the mean difference in refraction between fellow eyes (refraction in NE eye-refraction in EXS eye) was -0.27 ± 1.00 D. After five years, it was +0.32 ± 1.44 D (p = 0.016), showing a greater myopic change in EXS eyes. CONCLUSION: The results show that EXS is a risk factor for lens opacification.
Dr P. Puska, Helsinki University Eye Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Classification:
9.4.4.1 Exfoliation syndrome (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.4 Glaucomas associated with other ocular and systemic disorders > 9.4.4 Glaucomas associated with disorders of the lens)
