title: Epilens membrane simulating cataract in children with uveitis: a report of three cases.
abstract: Here we present the cases of three female children, of whom two were aged 6 years and one was aged 11 years. Two of the three children had bilateral uveitis and suspected cataract and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. The third one had uveitis and suspected cataract in one eye and sympathetic ophthalmia (SO), and had undergone penetrating keratoplasty in the fellow eye following a trauma. After controlling the inflammation, we planned to perform phacoemulsification without intraocular lens implantation. However, intraoperatively, after removing the epilens membranes, the lenses appeared clear, and therefore phacoemulsification was not performed. During follow-up, the patients did not develop cataract, and visual acuity levels ranged from 20/30 to 20/100. Fundoscopy revealed VKH disease and SO. Ophthalmologists should not always assume that patients with uveitis have cataract; a transparent lens may exist behind the epilens membrane, allowing a less aggressive therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Recife, Clóvis Paiva Eye Institute, Recife, PE, BR.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Heloisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salomão
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Lincoln
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muccioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Rubens
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Belfort
mesh_terms: D002386:Cataract / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology*; D008566:Membranes / Q000601:surgery*; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D014607:Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014792:Visual Acuity