Late spontaneous posterior capsule rupture after hydrophilic intraocular lens implantation

To describe and discuss the presentation and management of 4 cases of late (17 to 20 years) postoperative spontaneous posterior capsule rupture (PCR) and intraocular lens (IOL) subluxation in eyes implanted with the same hydrophilic 1-piece IOL.

Center for Applied Eye Research, Meir Medical Center and the Ein-Tal Eye Center, Israel.

Case series.

Four patients presented with spontaneous rupture and posterior dislocation of the same design IOL (B-Lens) 17 to 20 years after implantation. No trauma or any other direct causative factor was identified in any of the cases.

Of the 4 cases reported, the IOLs were successfully repositioned to the ciliary sulcus and sutured to the scleral wall (1 case) or the iris (2 cases), and the IOL was stable in the sulcus without the need for further sutured fixation in 1 case, with effective vision restored in all cases.

Spontaneous PCR is a rare postoperative complication and has not been reported, to the authors' knowledge, in cases without predisposing factors. A mechanism of late capsular tear was not confirmed, but the specific design of the IOL might have been a contributing factor.