Late opacification of a hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of an explanted opacified hydrophilic IOL after over two years from cataract surgery

Opacification of hydrophilic intraocular lenses (IOLs) is an uncommon complication, that can appear after uneventful cataract surgery. We report a case of opacified Hydroview® IOL in a 76-year-old woman, with a previous history of pars plana vitrectomy with silicon oil tamponade in her right eye for a proliferative diabetic retinopathy, who developed an opacification of the IOL after over two years from a silicon oil/BSS exchange in combination with an uneventful phacoemulsification. The patient complained about a progressive decrease in her visual acuity. The slit-lamp examination confirmed the opacification of the IOL. Therefore, because of blurred vision, a combined procedure of explant and exchange of the IOL was performed in the same eye. Qualitative (Optic microscope, X-Ray powder Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)) and quantitative (Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA)) analysis of the IOL material were performed. Here, our aim is to report the acquired data of the explanted Hydroview® H60M IOL.

Characteristics of Visual Impairment and the Impact of Low Vision Assessment in a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Jordan

Purpose

This project aims to describe the characteristics of patients with visual impairment referred from a tertiary academic hospital in Jordan for a comprehensive low vision evaluation and to study its impact on their functional needs.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the records of 108 patients from the ophthalmology clinic at Jordan University Hospital over the period from January 2014 to December 2018 was performed. Gathered information included age, gender, clinical diagnosis, family history of ocular disease, and type of low vision aid prescribed and its impact on patients' functional needs.

Results

The mean age was 44.64 years (range 4-88). Most participants were in the 19-60 years age group (50.0%). Fifty percent of the participants were the offspring of consanguineous marriages. The main cause of visual impairment in this cohort was retinitis pigmentosa, followed by diabetic retinopathy. The majority of low vision aids were prescribed for near distance tasks, and reading spectacles were the most prescribed visual aid. Eighty-nine percent of patients reported functional improvement and retained their visual aids upon follow-up.

Conclusion

Retinitis pigmentosa was the main cause of visual impairment in this cohort of patients referred from a tertiary academic hospital for low vision assessment. We report a consanguinity rate of 50%. The overwhelming majority of patients reported functional improvement and retained their visual aids upon follow-up. Awareness and integration of low vision services into a multidisciplinary approach and improving referral protocols is essential to better address the needs of patients with visual impairment. Familial counselling regarding consanguineous marriages and emerging research to treat inherited retinal diseases should be pursued.