Posters

The seek for possible aetiologies for negative dysphotopsia

Poster Details

First Author: S.Palkovits AUSTRIA

Co Author(s):    N. Hirnschall   O. Findl                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Negative dysphotopsia is a rare visual phenomenon occurring after cataract surgery. The hallmark of this condition is an arcuate or crescent shadow in the temporal visual field. Though negative dysphotopsia are reported frequently after surgery when specifically asked for, the proportion of patients significantly impaired is very small. The cause of negative dysphotopsia is still not known, despite possible explanations have been reported. The present study seeks to investigate possible aetiologies for negative dysphotopsia.

Setting:

Hanusch Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology

Methods:

This prospective, case series included patients suffering from negative dysphotopsia after cataract surgery. It is planned to include 15 patients in total. During the study day, a range of objective measurements (including biometry, topography, Purkinjemeter, measurement of pupillary and palpebral fissure diameter and aberrometry) and subjective evaluations (questionnaires, drawing of the shadow) were performed.

Results:

Until now, eight patients were recruited for this study, who respond to perceive a temporal shadow after cataract surgery. During the study day four patients turned out to have a typical temporal arcuate shadow. Two of the remaining four subjects had untypical shadows (one in the inferior the other in the superior visual field), one patient did not perceive the shadow during the study day and another one reported positive dysphotopsia. The ocular characteristics as well as subjective burden of patients with negative dysphotopsia will be presented and discussed at the meeting.

Conclusions:

Negative Dysphotopsia is a poorly understood visual phenomenon after cataract surgery. Several explanations were published previously, though the exact mechanism is still unclear. The present study investigates ocular biometric data in conjunction with psychophysical findings, such as subjective disease burden, as both parameters may play a pivotal role in the development of negative dysphotopsia and the resulting impairment.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE