Adult Visual Impairment/ Cataracts

Question 1

What are the Causes?

Answer 1

Congenital or due to metabolic disease like DM
Direct or indirect injury to the lens e.g. Ptolonged exposure to IR rays e.g. Glass blowers cataract
Or ionising radiation.

Sensile cataract( most common due to age)
Other causes of cataract- galactosaemia, hypercalcaemia, intra-uterine rubella,
Toxoplasmosis,
Long standing posterior uveitis
2o to trauma, electric shock, corticosteroids.

Question 2

SS

Answer 2

Unilateral- often unoticed, may blurrd vision, loss of distance judgement.+ stereopsis
Bilateral:
May cause gradual visual loss
Dazzling esp in sunlight + may cause monoocular diplopia.

Question 3

How do you diagnose it?

Answer 3

Opthalmoscopic classification
By lens appearance:
Immature: red reflex still occurs, dense.
Dot opacities- common in normal lens + fast developing cataracts,, DM.
Measure blood glucose to rule out DM.

Question 4

Define

Answer 4

Can be mono/biocular.
Cataract- any opacity in the lens of the eye that results in blurrd vission. 1/4 major causes of blindness in the world.