Cataract surgery in patients with Behçet's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcomes and complications of cataract surgery in patients with Behçet's disease.


METHODS
Department of Ophthalmology, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.


METHODS
Thirty-three eyes of 26 patients with Behçet's disease that had extracapsular cataract surgery between January 1993 and July 1999 were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age of the patients was 38.9 years (range 20 to 54 years). The mean postoperative follow-up was 22.9 months (range 6 to 66 months).


RESULTS
Extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) was performed in 22 eyes with and in 6 eyes without intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Phacoemulsification with IOL implantation was performed in 5 eyes. Postoperatively, the visual acuity was better in 29 eyes (87.8%) and was 0.5 or better in 14 eyes (42.4%). Posterior segment complications of Behçet's disease, mainly optic atrophy and macular alterations from preoperative inflammatory episodes, restricted final acuity. No significant difference was detected in postoperative inflammation among the types of surgery; that is, ECCE, ECCE with IOL implantation, and phacoemulsification with IOL implantation. A neodymium:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy was performed in 3 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with Behçet's disease, inflammation after extracapsular surgery was mild when surgery was performed after at least 3 months of no inflammatory signs. The results show that the outcomes of extracapsular cataract surgery mainly depend on the degree of preoperative posterior segment involvement.
Kadayifçilar
Sibel
S
Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara, Turkey.
Gedik
Sansal
S
Eldem
Bora
B
Irkeç
Murat
M
D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity