Cataract formation after application of intense focused ultrasound for facial rejuvenation

Acute cataract by a high-intensity focused ultrasound procedure: a case report

Background

We report a case of acute onset of cataract after eyelid rejuvenation tightening with intense focused ultrasound (IFUS) treatment without using a protection device.

Case presentation

A 47-year-old female patient presented at the outpatient clinic with blurred vision in her left eye immediately after undergoing an eyelid tightening procedure, using IFUS, seven days prior. The patient had decreased vision in her left eye, caused by an acute cataract with several drop-like opacities and a rosette-like posterior subcapsular cataract. One month after her first visit, the patient’s visual acuity in her left eye decreased to 20/630. A Swept-Source Anterior Segment optical coherence tomography confirmed that the posterior capsule was not ruptured. The patient underwent uneventful phacoemulsification cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation, which resulted in full visual recovery.

Conclusions

This case emphasized the need to evaluate possible ocular side effects, resulting from periocular IFUS without a protection device, including severe cataract requiring surgery.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-022-02390-2.

Acute cataract development in a 43-year-old woman after an ultrasound eyelid-tightening procedure

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe a severe side effect presentation of a bilateral cataract after treatment with intense focused ultrasound (IFUS) and subsequent uneventful cataract surgery.

Observations

A 43-year-old woman presented to the emergency room with decreased visual acuity several hours after undergoing an eyelid-tightening procedure using IFUS. The patient's vision was decreased (R>L), a result of an acute cataract, which had an unusual appearance and consistency. Several weeks later, visual acuity had decreased further in the right eye to 20/400 and the patient underwent uneventful laser-assisted cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation, which resulted in full visual recovery.

Conclusions and importance

This case emphasizes the need for particular attention to possible side effects resulting from periocular IFUS, including severe ocular impact requiring surgical intervention.

Cataract induced by eyelid cosmetic treatment with intense focused ultrasound

A 45-year-old woman, immediately after receiving a cosmetic treatment with intense focused ultrasound (IFUS) over the eyelids, developed an acute, progressive, severe cataract with a unique shape as an adverse effect of the IFUS esthetic treatment. At examination of the lens in the right eye, 4 drop-like dense lens opacities aligned consecutively in a horizontal line together with a posterior capsular opacity in a stellate-shaped fashion. It rapidly progressed into a dense posterior cataract, leaving the patient with an uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), from 20/20 prior to the event, to 20/160 4 days later. Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation were performed, restoring her UDVA to 20/25. Cosmetic and ophthalmic healthcare providers should be aware of the potentially damaging effect of IFUS.