Korean J Ophthalmol.  2011 Apr;25(2):84-89. 10.3341/kjo.2011.25.2.84.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Cataract Surgery in Highly Myopic Koreans

• Jeon S
• Kim HS

• KMID: 1111868
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/kjo.2011.25.2.84

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cataract surgery in highly myopic Korean subjects.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 694 eyes of 694 patients who underwent cataract surgery. The case group included 347 eyes of 347 patients whose axial lengths (AXL) were > or =26.00 mm, and the control group included 347 eyes of 347 patients with AXL between 22.00 and 25.99 mm. Cataract density was determined preoperatively using the Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging system. We compared age at operation, cataract type, coexisting disease, visual prognosis, and complications.
RESULTS
The mean age at the time of the operation was 59.60 +/- 12.28 years in the case group and 67.47 +/- 11.36 years in the control group. The case group had a larger proportion of nuclear cataracts and posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSC), 40.63% and 26.22%, respectively, versus 25.07% and 11.82%, respectively, in the control group. Postoperative corrected visual acuity showed a negative correlation with AXL (R2 = 0.172), and severe funduscopic findings were related to poor visual prognosis (p = 0.05). The incidence of retinal detachment in the case group after cataract surgery was 1.72%, compared with 0.28% in the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
Highly myopic eyes tend to develop cataracts earlier than normal eyes and to have a higher prevalence of coexisting disease and complications, such as retinal detachment. Nuclear cataracts and PSC were more common in the highly myopic group. Poor visual prognosis was associated with longer axial length and retinal myopic degeneration.

Keyword

Axial length; Cataract; Complications; High myopia; Retinal detachment

MeSH Terms

Aged
*Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Cataract/*complications/epidemiology/physiopathology
*Cataract Extraction
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Myopia/*complications/epidemiology/physiopathology
Postoperative Period
*Refraction, Ocular
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Retrospective Studies
*Visual Acuity

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Age distribution in highly myopic eyes and control eyes: mean age was 59.60 ± 12.28 in highly myopic group, 67.47 ± 11.36 in control eyes (p = 0.001). The figure shows younger distribution in highly myopic eyes.

• 

  Fig. 2 Pentacam densitometry and whose axial lengths showed positive correlation, was not statistically significant (R2 = 4%, p = 0.084, Pearson's correlation) (n = 82). Averagic densitometric value was 11.601 ± 4.451 in control group (n=60), and 12.300 ± 3.751 in highly myopic eyes (n=22).

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  Fig. 3 Corrected visual acuity (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) at postoperative 2 months and whose axial lengths showed negative correlation (R2 = 19.8%, p < 0.005, Pearson's correlation). BCVA = best corrective visual acuity.

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