Incidence of posterior capsule opacification following phacoemulsification in patients with uveitis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in patients with inactive uveitis who underwent phacoemulsification with acrylic hydrophobic intraocular lens.

Thus was a retrospective review of 25 consecutive patients (31 eyes) with uveitis who underwent phacoemulsification. A group of 100 patients (140 eyes) without uveitis served as historical controls.

In patients with uveitis, PCO occurred in 11 eyes (35.5%), 6 (19%) of which were visually significant and required treatment with neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG) laser. In the control group, PCO developed in 17 (12%) eyes which required treatment with Nd: YAG laser. The incidence of PCO was significantly higher in uveitis patients compared to the control group (P = 0.001), but the incidence of visually significant PCO requiring laser capsulotomy was not statistically significant (P = 0.3).

The incidence of PCO in patients with uveitis was significantly higher than those without uveitis, but the need for Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy for visually significant PCO was not statistically significant.