Nuclear vacuoles in nuclear cataract

The human lens nucleus has always been described as a homogeneous part of the lens, and if any distinct opacities are found, these are considered to be congenital. However, in lenses with nuclear cataract, both of senile type and those induced by hyperbaric oxygen, we have found relatively transparent vacuoles in the nucleus of similar appearance as cortical vacuoles. In cataracts induced by hyperbaric oxygen the vacuoles were reversible to some extent. The vacuoles have been investigated with slit-lamp photography and quantitative microradiography. Nuclear vacuoles were found in 11 out of 25 patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen compared to 19 out of 100 pre-operatively examined senile nuclear cataracts. In the microradiographs the vacuoles appeared as dark rounded areas with a lower dry mass content (approximately 0.30 g X cm-3) than the surroundings (approximately 0.50 g X cm-3).