title: Comparison of distance and near visual acuity in patients with vision loss due to cataract.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a disparity in distance and near best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in cataract eyes. 102 patients with cataract (N = 121 eyes) were seen in clinic between January and November 2013 at the Wilmer Eye Institute Comprehensive Eye Service. An age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) group (N = 27 eyes) was also identified for comparison. Distance and near BCVA were measured as part of the standard ophthalmic evaluation. Snellen measurements were converted to their LogMAR equivalents for statistical analysis. Near was better than distance BCVA with mean difference of 1.38 lines (P < 0.001) in the cataract eyes. This disparity was not seen in the ARMD eyes. Near-distance BCVA disparity is a statistically significant finding seen with cataracts. This may have further implications in patients with both cataract and ARMD as the presence of disparity may suggest a cataract etiology playing a greater role in vision loss. This comparison may be useful for surgical prognostication and as a quick triage tool in conjunction with, or in place of, a potential acuity meter and dilated near-pinhole test.
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.|The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee 327, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Carmel L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mercado
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.|The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee 327, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Pavle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Doroslovački
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.|The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee 327, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Jiangxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.|The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee 327, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Aazim A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, George Washington University, Ambulatory Care Center 2150, Pennsylvania Avenue Suite#2A, Washington, DC, 20037, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Kolker
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA. rikolker@jhmi.edu.|The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee 327, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA. rikolker@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kolker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004215:Distance Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015357:Vision Disparity / Q000502:physiology*; D014787:Vision Tests; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: ARMD; Cataract; Macular degeneration; Vision acuity screen