Does Posterior Capsule Opacification Affect the Results of Diagnostic Technologies to Evaluate the Retina and the
Jose Javier Garcia-Medina1, Monica Del Rio-Vellosillo2, Vicente Zanon-Moreno3
1Department of Ophthalmology, General University Hospital Reina Sofia, Avenida Intendente Jorge Palacios 1, 30003 Murcia, Spain ; Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Avenida Intendente Jorge Palacios 1, 30003 Murcia, Spain ; Ophthalmology Research Unit "Santiago Grisolia", Avenida Gaspar Aguilar, 90, 46017 Valencia, Spain ; Oftared-Retics, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
The visual outcome obtained after cataract removal may progressively decline because of posterior capsular opacification (PCO). This condition can be treated by creating an opening in the posterior lens capsule by Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy. PCO optical imperfections cause several light reflection, refraction, and diffraction phenomena, which may interfere with the functional and structural tests performed in different ocular locations for the diagnosis and follow-up of ocular disease, like macular and optic nerve diseases. Some parameters measured by visual field examinations, scanning laser polarimetry, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have changed after PCO removal. Imaging quality also changes following capsulotomy. Consequently, the results of ancillary tests in pseudophakic eyes for studying ocular diseases like glaucoma or maculopathies should be correlated with other clinical examinations, for example, slit-lamp biomicroscopy or funduscopy. If PCO is clinically significant, a new baseline should be set for future comparisons following capsulotomy when using automated perimetry and scanning laser polarimetry. To perform OCT in the presence of PCO, reliable examinations (considering signal strength) apparently guarantee that measurements are not influenced by PCO.
