Bilateral cataract following lightning injury.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of bilateral cataract with posterior vitreous detachment induced by lightning injury.


METHODS
A case report of 30 year old man injured by lightning.


RESULTS
The patient developed visually significant bilateral cataract after four years of the initial insult on the scalp. The exit wound was noted on the right foot. Fundus evaluation after cataract extraction revealed posterior vitreous detachment.


CONCLUSIONS
Lightning can induce various ocular complications. Decrease in vision due to cataract is usually seen years after the initial lightning injury as the initial changes are in the mid-periphery and often missed in the acute setting. Posterior vitreous detachment induced by lightning can rarely lead to retinal tear formation and subsequently retinal detachment. The severity of entry and exit may not give a true picture of the internal organ damage.
Gupta
A
A
Department of Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India. arvind_ophthal@yahoo.co.in
Kaliaperumal
S
S
Sengupta
S
S
Babu
R
R
D000328:Adult; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D015168:Lightning Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D020255:Vitreous Detachment / Q000209:etiology