Cataract and aqueous flare levels in patients with atopic dermatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether cataract in patients with atopic dermatitis is associated with higher levels of aqueous flare or cells.


METHODS
In a prospective study, 35 consecutive patients examined during a 6-month period at the atopic dermatitis service in a university hospital underwent standardized ophthalmologic evaluations including the quantitative measurement of aqueous flare and cells by a laser flare-cell meter.


RESULTS
Seven patients had bilateral cataract with anterior or posterior subcapsular opacities, or both; one patient had similar cataract in one eye and no cataract in the opposite eye; and 27 patients had no cataract in either eye. Fifteen eyes with cataract showed significantly higher levels of aqueous flare (2.1 to 33.9 photon counts per millisecond with a median of 18.0) compared with 55 eyes without cataract (2.4 to 16.0 photon counts per millisecond with a median of 9.2; Mann-Whitney U test, P = .0008). The association of cataract with higher levels of aqueous flare remained significant when only one eye (the right eye) of each patient was chosen for statistical analysis (P = .0024).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher levels of aqueous flare caused by the breakdown of blood-aqueous barrier may contribute to the formation of cataract in patients with atopic dermatitis.
Matsuo
T
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Saito
H
H
Matsuo
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018916:Blood-Aqueous Barrier; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity