Abstract
Purpose: :
To investigate the influence of Watercleft (a type of opacity of the crystalline lens) on ocular higher order aberration.
Methods: :
Subjects comprised 37 eyes of 23 patients (average age 69.8±5.4 yrs) that had been diagnosed as water clefts (WC) without any other kind of lens opacity. Based on whether or not vacuoles were also found in the water clefts area, cases were divided into 2 groups, WC (22 eyes) and VWC (15 eyes). Controls comprised 54 eyes of 52 patients (average age 67.9±3.2yrs) without any kind of lens opacity. Eyes with corneal opacity, glaucoma or any retinal disease were excluded. Wavefront aberrations were analyzed with a KR9000PW aberrometer (Topcon, Co).
Results: :
The average ages of WC, VWC and controls showed no significant difference (P>0.05). The average best corrected visual acuities (BCVA) in WC and VWC were significantly lower than in controls, (P=0.001). Trefoil aberrations in WC and VWC, and coma in VWC groups were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05). Coma and trefoil aberrations were significantly correlated with water cleft area(R=0.509, P=0.018).
Conclusions: :
Watercleft has significant influence on best correct visual acuity. Eyes with watercleft have higher coma and trefoil aberrations, especially eyes with vacuoles in the watercleft area. Increase of higher order aberration is suggested as the reason for decreasing visual ability in eyes with watercleft.
Keywords: cataract • imaging/image analysis: clinical