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Microorganisms found in secondary cataract material of ECCE patients, a study with SEM and TEM
D Kalicharan1, W L Jongebloed, L I Los
1University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Globular secondary cataract material, removed from 24 patients with ECCE after ophthalmic cleaning of the anterior capsule, were investigated with SEM and TEM. Besides spherical, somewhat oval shaped bodies of various shape and size comparable with those found in cataractous lenses, (an)aerobic bacteria and yeast cells were found in approximately 70% of the cases, all of them in eyes without intra-ocular inflammation. Probably these bacteria have been transferred from the conjunctiva during IOL.-implantation and were encapsulated without starting an inflammation.
Insights
Microbial cells, including bacteria and yeast, were found in secondary cataract material from 70% of patients undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). These microbes were encapsulated without causing intraocular inflammation, suggesting a potential transfer during intraocular lens implantation.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Microbiology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Secondary cataracts can form after cataract surgery.
- The presence and origin of microbial contaminants in cataract material are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the composition of globular secondary cataract material.
- To identify microorganisms within this material and assess their association with inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used.
- Secondary cataract material from 24 patients after extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Spherical and oval bodies, consistent with cataract material, were observed.
- Bacterial and yeast cells were identified in approximately 70% of samples.
- Microorganisms were found exclusively in eyes without signs of intraocular inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Microbial presence in secondary cataract material is common.
- These microbes likely originate from the conjunctiva during intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.
- Encapsulation of microbes can occur without eliciting an inflammatory response.