An Epidemiological Study for Relationship Between Risk Factors and Types of Cataract

The epidemiological study to evaluate the risk factors and types of cataract was performed in 183 cataract patients who received cataract operation in Chung-Ang University Hospital and in 80 control patients from March 1992 to Febraury 1994. Our study revealed that the sun light exposure and smoking were related to nuclear opacity, and drinking and smoking were related to cortical opacity. Also anterior subcortical opacity was more common in patients with heart disease. And the long term use of steroid and patient with diabetes mellitus were risk factors of posterior subcapsular opacity cataractogenesis. In this study we could confirm some risk factors were closely related to the type of lens opacity.

Clinical Characteristics of Electric Cataract

To evaluate the various factors related to the development of electric cataract in electric burn patients, we reviewed medical charts of 663 electric burn patients who were admitted to the department of General Surgery in Hanil General Hospital between 1981 and 1993. Eleven patients(1.7%) had electric cataract in both eyes. All of them were injured by contact with 22,900 voltage current, and developed third degree burns. Fifty-eight electric burn patients had their electric inputs through their head and eight (13.8%) among them developed cataracts. Only three(0.5%) among 567 electric burn patients who had their electric inputs through upper extremities developed cataracts. The interval between the electric injury and the diagnosis was 2 to 18 months. Anterior subcapsular opacity was the most common type of lenticular opacity. Other associated ocular complications included uveitis, macular edema, macular degeneration, and macular hole.