Cataracts

Question 1

What are cataracts?

Answer 1

Clouding of natural (crystalline) lens due to precipitation of proteins

Most common cause of preventable blindness

Question 2

What are the clinical features of cataracts?

Answer 2

• blurring, haze, dazzle of bright lights (esp when driving at night)
• affects near (reading) and distance (TV) equally
• washed-out colour vision
• usually both eyes but one can be more advanced
• fields + pupils normal
• may be defects in red reflex

Question 3

When do we treat cataracts?

Answer 3

When they are affecting life enough to justify smallrisk of surgery

Question 4

Risk factors for cataracts

Answer 4

Age

Steroids (systemic/topical)

Diabetes

Question 5

Management of cataracts

Answer 5

Surgery involves fragmenting and aspirating the cataractous lens

Plastic lens (intra-ocular lens (IOL) inserted in its place)

Performed under LA