Glistenings in the Artiflex phakic intraocular lens

To report the appearance of glistenings in the Artiflex iris-claw phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) (Ophtec B.V.); evaluate their prevalence, severity, and visual significance; and determine whether a large in-depth study of the IOL is warranted.

La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.

Twenty eyes of 13 patients who had the Artiflex pIOL implantation at the same institution over a 2-year period were randomly selected and evaluated by slitlamp examination; visual acuity was also measured. Glistenings in the Artiflex pIOL were graded from trace to 4+ at the slitlamp.

Four Artiflex pIOLs had lenticular glistenings ranging from grade 1+ to grade 4+. Analysis of visual acuity and patient satisfaction showed that the glistenings had no clinical significance.

Glistenings appeared some Artiflex pIOLs to varying degrees, although they were not visually significant in any case. A larger study of this IOL is needed to determine whether severe cases of glistenings affect visual function and assess their cause and evolution over time.