Cataracts

Question 1

What is cataracts?

Answer 1

1. Opacification of the lens
2. Most common cause of treatable blindness in world
3. Get gradual loss of visual acuity

Question 2

What is the aeitology of cataracts?

Answer 2

normal proteins that make up the lens of the eye degrade overtime and become opaque

Question 3

What RF can cause the acceleration of catacracts?

Answer 3

1. Ageing >65
2. Smoking
3. Alcohol
4. UV exposure
5. Diabetes
6. Trauma
7. Uveitits

Question 4

What are symptoms of cataracts?

Answer 4

1. Gradual loss of vision (over many years)
2. Painless
3. Blurry vision
4. Glare in bright light

Question 5

What investigations and findings are there for cataracts?

Answer 5

1. Slit lamp reveals the cataract as black against a red reflex
2. Loss of visual acuity
3. Normal pupillary response
4. Reduced red reflex on fundoscopy

Question 6

What is visual acuity a measure of?

Answer 6

of the ability of the eye to distinguish shapes and the details of objects at a given distance

Question 7

What are different types of pupillary response - direct and consensual?

Answer 7

they constrict to direct illumination (direct response) and to illumination of the opposite eye (consensual response)

Question 8

What is the management for catacracts?

Answer 8

1. Control RF to slow down development of cataracts

2. Surgical management when symptoms begin to affect lifestyle

Question 9

What surgery can be offered for cataracts?

Answer 9

Phaecoemulsification with an intraocular lens implant – under local aneasthetic