Impact of cataract surgery on retinal sensitivity measurements of a fundus-related perimeter (Micro Perimeter 3) in patients with different types of cataract

Session Details

Session Title: Cataract
Session Date/Time: Saturday 10/02/2018 | 08:30-11:00
Paper Time: 08:48
Venue: Blue Hall

First Author: S.Georgiev AUSTRIA
Co Author(s): S. Palkovits  M. Ullrich  N. Hirnschall  O. Findl        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Microperimetry is a method to assess retinal sensitivity in the central visual field. This technique combines perimetry with fundus photography to correlate retinal sensitivity with morphology, so called “fundus-related perimetry”. Increasing lens opacity leads to decreased retinal sensitivity, but to what extent cataract influences microperimetry findings has yet to be clarified. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of cataract extraction on retinal sensitivity measurements for microperimetry in all three most common types of cataract (nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular). Furthermore, correlation analyses between the change in retinal sensitivity and grade and type of cataract were performed.

Setting:

Hanusch Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology

Methods:

This prospective, monocenter study included patients scheduled for cataract surgery. Preoperative microperimetry measurements were performed one week before and within one month of surgery, respectively. ETDRS visual acuity was tested at both study visits. Lens opacity was graded using the LOCS II classification scale. For microperimetry the MP3 System (Nidek Inc., Japan) was used. Introduction of full-automatic measurements, improved motion tracking and increased variability of available patterns are important features of this new device. As in conventional perimetry, the patients were asked to respond to specific light stimulation with a handheld trigger.

Results:

Thirty-five patients were recruited for this study. Findings of sixteen patients were evaluated as preliminary data. All three most common types of cataract (nuclear, cortical and posterior supcapsular) were included as well as soft and dense cataracts. None of the patients had white cataract. Cataract extraction led to a significant increase in ETDRS visual acuity (p=0.028). Microperimetry readings showed a mean retinal sensitivity difference between the two study measurements of 0.11 (p=0.81), 0.34 (p=0.41) and 0.89 (p=0.007) for nuclear cataract, cortical cataract, and posterior subcapsular cataract patients, respectively.

Conclusions:

The present study showed that media opacity like cataract influences retinal microperimetry readings in certain subjects. Microperimetry readings showed a significant increase of mean central retinal sensitivity in patients with posterior subcapsular cataract, while having little effect on patients with mild or moderate nuclear and cortical cataract. Further studies with a larger sample size, however, are needed to elucidate the correlation between visual acuity, different types of cataract, cataract density and microperimetry.

Financial Disclosure:

None