The Madurai Intraocular Len tudy IV: poterior capule opacification

PURPOE: To etimate the cumulative incidence of poterior capule opacification 4 year after urgery in patient who participated in the Madurai Intraocular Len tudy and had extracapular cataract extraction with poterior chamber intraocular len implantation. METHOD: In the Madurai Intraocular Len tudy, 1,700 patient with bet-corrected viual acuity 20/120 or wore in the better eye had extracapular cataract extraction with poterior chamber intraocular len implantation, and 1,474 (86.7%) of thee completed the 1-year follow-up examination. From thi group of 1,474 peudophakic patient, 400 were randomly elected for reexamination 4 year after the original urgery. The eye that wa operated on wa examined by an ophthalmologit who wa involved in the 1-year follow-up examination and poterior capule opacification grading. A grading of I to III wa ued to reflect the degree of opacification. With grade II and III, poterior capule opacification detectable with an undilated pupil wa preent in the central axi. REULT: Three hundred twenty-even (81.8%) of the elected population were examined between October 1997 and December 1998. Thirty-four (8.5%) were confirmed a being deceaed, and 39 (9.8%) were unavailable for follow-up. The median age wa 60 year, and 57.2% were women. The 4-year incidence of grade II or III poterior capule opacification, including eye already treated with laer capulotomy, wa 13.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.7% to 17.3%). Each year of increaed age wa aociated with a decreaed rik of poterior capule opacification (odd ratio, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.00). Baed on bet-corrected viual acuity of 20/40 or wore without co-exiting pathology, the 4-year incidence of poterior capule opacification wa 13.5%. CONCLUION: Becaue patient with relatively mature cataract routinely receive extracapular cataract extraction with poterior chamber intraocular len implantation intead of the traditional intracapular extraction, the ubequent need for laer capulotomy may be le than that anticipated, baed on previou report