Cataract

Changed by Mostafa Elfeky, 7 Jan 2017

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Cataract is an opacification or thickening of the lens and is the leading cause of blindness in the world ².

Clinical presentation

Visual deterioration occurs with increasing degrees of severity. The diagnosis is made clinically.

Pathology

Aetiology

Common causes include:

old age (most common)
congenital (see: congenital cataract)
post traumatic
diabetes (osmotic)
radiation
- for the interventional radiologist so called 'radiation-induced cataract' of all radiation exposure risks ¹

Radiographic features

Ultrasound

Ocular ultrasound is performed when there is suspicion of posterior globe pathology but visualisation of the back of the eye is obscured by the opaque lens.

CT

Especially useful in acute cataract formation with increased fluid within the lens as in traumatic and osmotic cataract (hyperglycaemia) as well as unsuspected lens injury. The affected lens is much hypodenser than the othere lens with mean density difference about 30 HU ³.

Treatment and prognosis

Treatment is surgical removal of the lens which is usually replaced by an intraocular lens implant.

~~-<li>diabetes</li>~~
+<li>diabetes (osmotic)</li>
-</ul><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>Ocular ultrasound is performed when there is suspicion of posterior globe pathology but visualisation of the back of the eye is obscured by the opaque lens.</p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>Treatment is surgical removal of the lens which is usually replaced by an intraocular lens implant.</p><p> </p>
+</ul><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>Ocular ultrasound is performed when there is suspicion of posterior globe pathology but visualisation of the back of the eye is obscured by the opaque lens.</p><h5><strong>CT</strong></h5><p>Especially useful in acute cataract formation with increased fluid within the lens as in traumatic and osmotic cataract (hyperglycaemia) as well as unsuspected lens injury. The affected lens is much hypodenser than the othere lens with mean density difference about 30 HU <sup>3</sup>.</p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>Treatment is surgical removal of the lens which is usually replaced by an intraocular lens implant.</p><p> </p>

References changed:

3. Boorstein JM, Titelbaum DS, Patel Y, Wong KT, Grossman RI. CT diagnosis of unsuspected traumatic cataracts in patients with complicated eye injuries: significance of attenuation value of the lens. AJR. American journal of roentgenology. 164 (1): 181-4. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.164.1.7998535">doi:10.2214/ajr.164.1.7998535</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7998535">Pubmed</a> <span class="ref_v4"></span>

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