A Case of Electric Cataract

A twenty year old male patient was exposed on his right temporal portion of head to 22,000 volt alternating electric current on December 12, 1978. He lost consciousness for about three days. He sustained second and third degree burn on exposed site and right lower extremity. Right lower leg was amputated months later at orthopedic deparment. And diminution of vision began to be felt on April 1979. So he visited to our ophthalmic O.P.D. on June 11, 1979. On the first ocular examination, the visual acuity of both eyes was similar -Hand Movement- and the intraocular pressure of right was 14.6 mmHg and that of the left was 17.3 mmHg. And light projection and color perception of both eyes were good. There were multiple round punctate opacities in anterior subcapsular region and total opacification of lens cortex were also noted in both eyes by slit lamp examination. On June 12, 1979, intracapsular lens cryoextraction of right eye was done with Zonolysin(R) application and five days later left eye was operated by the same procedure. Corrected visual acuity of both eyes was 20/20 without significant complication.

Acid and Alkali Burn on the Cornea

Following application of 2N sodium hydroxide to the cornea, the aqueous humor pH reached a maximum of 10.2, 11.9, and 12 within 6 minutes following 20-, 50-, and 100-ul sodium hydrxide burn, respectively: after two hours the pH had fallen to 8.5, 10 and 10.5, The maximum rise following application of 100 ul of ammonium hydroxide was 10.8, declining to about 9 at 2 hours. The fall in pH following a 100-ul sodium hydroxide burn has not greatly influenced by external lavage. However, the pH was significantly lowerd by paracentesis alone and further reduce by immediate or delayed intracameral administration of phosphate buffer. On the basis of these result moderately severe and severe alkali burns of the eye should be treated by paracentesis and if possible with anterior chamber reformation with a sterile solution.