Eye Case of the Week

Question: A 75 year old wakes up with blurred vision, what is the cause?

Answer:

Posterior capsular opacification (PCO)

Most common post-operative cataract complication. It is caused by the proliferation of lens epithelial cells that have remained within the capsular bag following cataract extraction.

Patterns of opacifications:
• Vacuolated, pearl-type – commonly known as ‘Elschnig pearls’
• Fibrosis type
• Soemmering ring – a whitish annular or doughnut- shaped in the periphery of the capsular bag following older methods of cataract surgery, but is clinically uncommon now.

Management: Referral to an Ophthalmologist for capsulotomy with YAG laser.