The relationship between central nuclear scatter and perinuclear retrodots in the human crystalline lens

Retrodots are common perinuclear features of age-related cataract. Clinical observation suggested that retrodots were associated with increased nuclear scatter. To test this hypothesis, retrospective data were analysed from 78 non-diabetic subjects (118 eyes), of at least 50 years of age, who had neither subscapsular nor axial spoke opacities. Retrodots were graded using the Oxford Clinical Cataract Classification and Grading system and central nuclear scatter was assessed by image analysis of Scheimpflug photographic negatives. Regression analysis in groups was performed according to the "intra-class correlation model" either considering retrodots as a graded feature (grades 0-5) or as a dichotomous variable (present or absent). After adjusting for age (treated as a co-variate), a highly significant association (P < 10(-6) was found between retrodots and increased nuclear scatter in each analysis. It is suggested that the co-existence of these two cataract types may reflect a common cataractogenic mechanism, possibly oxidative stress.