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Age-related cataract
Cataract & Refractive Surgery
Key Points
- •Age-related cataract is the leading cause of reversible blindness worldwide, responsible for 33% of global blindness (WHO).
- •Nuclear sclerosis causes a myopic shift ("second sight") - temporary near-vision improvement is a classic exam clue.
- •Phacoemulsification is the gold standard; 95% achieve BCVA ≥6/12 with modern techniques (AAO PPP).
- •PSC cataract is strongly associated with corticosteroid use and diabetes and causes symptoms disproportionate to its apparent size due to its axial location.
- •The LOCS III system is the standard photographic grading system for classifying cataract severity in clinical trials.
- •Complications of advanced cataract include phacomorphic glaucoma (intumescent lens), phacolytic glaucoma (leaking HMW proteins), and phacoantigenic uveitis.
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Keep reading Age-related cataract
17 more sections are included with the Clinical plan.
- Definition
- Epidemiology
- Aetiology and causes
- Pathogenesis
- Classification
- Risk factors and associations