[Posterior capsule opacification after phacoemulsification in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the posterior capsule opacification (PCO) rate after phacoemulsification with polyacrylic intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with the controls, and to assess whether preoperative activity of RA is associated with a higher incidence of PCO.


METHODS
24 eyes of 20 RA patients operated in a period of 4 years were included in our study. A control group of 20 eyes from 20 health subjects were also included in our study. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon with the same surgical technique and postoperative medication.


RESULTS
One year postoperatively in two eyes (8.3%) of RA-patients lens epithelial cells (LEC) migration of grade 1 was observed, in controls also in two eyes (10%). No correlation was observed between age, duration of RA or preoperative activity of RA and the PCO rate.


CONCLUSIONS
Following acrylic IOL implantation, the PCO rate one year after surgery was 8.3% in RA patients and 10% in controls. RA patients present no higher risk for PCO development than controls.
Pahor
Dusica
D
Augenabteilung, Lehrkrankenhaus Maribor, Ljubljanska ulica 5, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia. d.pahor@sb-mb.si
Gracner
Bojan
B
Gracner
Tomaz
T
Pahor
Artur
A
D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017524:Slovenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome