Opacification in Hydrophilic Acrylic Lenses
The leading cause of opacification hydrophilic acrylic lenses is calcification, said Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, during the 2018 APACRS annual meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The culprits, based on studies she’s performed, appear to be:
- IOL packages with silicone compounds.
- Phosphate-buffered ophthalmic viscosurgical devices.
- Local conditions of calcium/phosphate supersaturation in the vicinity of the IOL surfaces or within their substance.
- Conditions with chronic breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier.
The key, explained Dr. Werner, is to diagnose calcification during slit lamp exam.
Another study she performed showed that opacification can occur in eyes with asteroid hyalosis when any kind of silicone lens is used. It is important to store these types of lenses away from chemicals.
Werner L. Causes of IOL opacification requiring explantation. Talk presented at: 2018 APACRS annual meeting; July 19-21, 2018; Chiang Mai, Thailand.
