Association of Pigmentary Glaucoma and Nuclear Cataract
Narrative Responses:
Purpose
To describe a new association between non-senile nuclear cataracts and pigmentary glaucoma in patients with controlled intraocular pressure.
Methods
A consecutive case series of non-senile nuclear cataracts seen in patients with pigmentary glaucoma with controlled intraocular pressure in a single glaucoma specialist practice. Five patients with pigmentary glaucoma and visually significant cataract who underwent cataract removal were reviewed.
Results
Patients with pigmentary glaucoma develop a rapidly progressing non-senile nuclear cataract with a myopic shifts between 5-13D from baseline in less than six months. The patients have controlled intraocular pressure and there were no associations between medication use and cataract development. The dense non-senile nuclear cataract can be seen clinically on retinoscopy. On surgical removal of cataract, there is a dense central nuclear cataract that requires greater phacoemulsification energy at the center of the cataract.
Conclusion
New association seen between patients with pigmentary glaucoma and non-senile nuclear cataracts. In these patients, the intraocular pressure remains controlled and no association is seen between the cataract and medication use. The cataract are rapidly progressive and cause a myopic shift between 5-13D.