Association between refractive errors and senile cataract in rural area of western Maharashtra

To study the association between refractive errors and senile cataract in rural area of western Maharashtra

It is a prospective cross sectional study carried out on 420 eyes of 210 patients with senile cataract was included in the study. The age and sex of the patient, grade and the refractive status of the cataract of the eyes were recorded. The grade of the cataract was recorded by the LOCS III (Lens Opacities Classification System, version III). Refractive status was measured subjectively using retinoscope and refractive error for each eye was converted into spherical equivalent units.

The age variation in the study was between 60–85 years. The maximum number of patients was in the age group of 60–65 years. The spherical equivalent ranged between -3.0 D to +4.25D.45.95% of the study population had a spherical equivalent between 2 to -1.73.81% of the study population had a myopic refraction. 20% had a hypermetropic refraction. Percentage of patients with a score of nuclear opalescence and colour between 1.0–2.0 was 41.90%, between 2.1–3.0 was 26.67% and above 3.0 was 31.43%. Percentage of patients with a score of cortical cataract between 0.1–1.0 was 69.76% and with a grade between 2.1–3.0 was 26.91%. Percentage of patients with a score of posterior subcapsular cataract between 0.1–1.0 was 53.57% and with a grade between 2.1–3.0 was 39.05%.

The myopic refraction was associated with nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular cataract and this refractive error was stastically significant with nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular cataract.