Journal of Clinical Trials
Open Access

Abstract

Pre-Senile Cataract in Diabetic Patients: Prevalence and Early Diagnosis

Patrícia Ioschpe Gus, Samira Zelanis, Diane Marinho, Ana Laura Kunzler, Felipe Nicola, Heitor Folle and Helena Pakter

Hypothesis: Since cataract is more prevalent in the diabetic population, the authors compared the findings of the gold standard Lens Opacity Classification System III (LOCSIII) with the Scheimpflug objective measures in a presenile population.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of diabetic patients between 50 and 60 years old. Patients answered a questionnaire about clinical conditions, complications, medications in use and demographics, and were submitted to a complete non-dilated and dilated ophthalmological evaluation, including a Scheimpflug lens densitometry (Pentacam Nucleus Staging) and the Lens Opacity Classification System III (LOCSIII) based evaluation. All patients signed an informed consent term.

Results: Eighty-six eyes from 43 patients were enrolled; 96.5% had some degree of cataract, as classified by LOCS III and 46.5% by Pentacam. Most of the patients had corrected visual acuity of 20/20 (74.4%) and 25.6% had corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or worse.

Conclusions: Corrected visual acuity in the majority of patients was normal and they mostly had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. LOCS III remains an earlier and less expensive method of cataract diagnosis. Different cataract morphology seems to relate to different systemic complication, although this finding must be confirmed by further studies.