[Progress of research on exfoliation syndrome]

Exfoliation syndrome is an age-related systemic disorder of extracellular matrix, which is associated with a rapid progress of cataract resulting in the increased incidence of complications during operation and post-operation of cataract. The exact pathogenesis of exfoliation syndrome is still unclear. The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent progress in the clinical diagnosis, cell biology, molecular biology, and an improved knowledge of genetics, which will provide a better understanding of the mechanism behind this disorder.