Colour vision in diabetic and normal pseudophakes is worse than expected

Automated colour vision testing in pseudophakes showed unexpected results. Chromatic discrimination sensitivity was measured in 22 diabetic pseudophakes with no retinopathy, 23 diabetic pseudophakes with background retinopathy and 34 non-diabetic pseudophakes. These results were compared with those in age-matched normal and diabetic phakic subjects, all of whom had good vision. The diabetics were also matched for retinopathy grading and duration of diabetes. In all three groups, red-green discrimination sensitivity was worse in the pseudophakes when compared with the corresponding phakic subjects (normals, p < 0.001; no retinopathy, p = 0.467; background retinopathy, p = 0.057). However, tritan vision was marginally worse in the normal pseudophake group but was better in the two diabetic pseudophake groups, when compared with phakic controls. This may be due to a reduction in tritan sensitivity in age-matched phakic controls from the effects of increased lens yellowing with age.