Anterior chamber depth a better indicator for cortical cataract surgery

J Cataract Refract Surg. 2011;37:77-82.

Surgeons should consider anterior chamber depth before visual acuity when determining the necessity of age-related cataract extraction, according to a study.

The case-control study included 330 eyes of 269 patients. The authors enrolled 30 eyes for each nuclear opalescence and cortical grade, as well as 30 eyes (of 19 patients) with clear lenses and normal vision for the control group.

Increased lens thickness correlated directly with increased cortical opacity, while the values decreased for both anterior chamber depth and anterior chamber volume.

Using the Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III), the investigators found an inverse correlation between anterior chamber depth and nuclear opalescence (P = .004), nuclear color (P = .005) and cortical opacity (P < .005).

In addition, the authors observed significant differences in lens thickness, anterior chamber depth and anterior chamber volume between nuclear color, nuclear opalescence and cortical opacity for LOCS III grades 3, 4, and 5, respectively.

"We found that the eyes with cortical cataract and greater lens expansion had a shallower anterior chamber," the authors said. "This suggests that [anterior chamber depth] should be the main indicator for cortical cataract surgery rather than visual impairment and lens opacity."