Intraocular lenses in patients with uveitis

To evaluate the cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients with uveitis, we retrospectively compared the outcome and complications between 63 eyes with uveitis-associated cataract and 42 eyes with age-related cataract, and between 27 uveitis eyes implanted with acrylic IOL and 36 uveitis eyes implanted with heparin-surface-modified IOL. There was a significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between patients with uveitis and age-related cataract. Major postoperative complications in uveitis group were posterior capsule opacification (13%) and cystoid macular edema (13%). Flare intensity measured with the laser flare-cell meter in patients with uveitis was higher than that with age-related cataract. There was no significant difference in the incidence of the postoperative complications and flare intensity between eyes with acrylic IOL and with heparin-surface-modified IOL in uveitis group, but there was a significant difference in the intensity of astigmatism in short-term after the surgery between the two groups. Careful attention to preoperative activity of uveitis and postoperative complications should be paid in cataract surgery with IOL implantation in patients with uveitis. Acrylic IOL is as useful as heparin-surface-modified IOL.