[Anterior chamber inflammation after cataract intraocular lens surgery in postvitrectomy eyes]

We determined the anterior chamber inflammation by means of laser flaremetry after cataract intraocular lens surgery for the nuclear cataract that developed after vitrectomy. Cases (38 eyes of 36 patients) were divided into the following four groups according to their pathologies indicating vitrectomy; proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR, 14 eyes), idiopathic posterior vitreous membrane syndrome (PVMS, 9 eyes), rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD, 8 eyes), and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO, 7 eyes). Mean intervals between the two surgeries were 31, 23, 27 and 18 months, respectively. Phacoemulsification and aspiration through the self-sealing sclerocorneal wound and intraocular lens implantation in the bag were performed. The mean flare count was already high before the cataract surgery in all groups. Postoperative course of mean flare count was an overlap of two waves, one (P1) with a peak on day 1 followed by rapid decrease and the other (P7) with a peak on day 7 followed by slow decrease. Peak values of P1 were higher than the day 1 value after cataract surgery without fundus pathology, and higher in PDR and BRVO groups than in PVMS and RRD groups. P7 was like that observed after vitrectomy and there was close similarity among the groups.