IJC Recap: Treating Inflammatory Dry Eye, an Emerging Option for Normal Tension Glaucoma, and the Role of Yag Laser Vitreolysis for Vitreous Floaters

Inder Paul Singh

Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today

Addressing Inflammatory Dry Eye

Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD

Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today

Spontaneous Lens Absorption Following PPV

Two unusual cases of postoperative lens absorption, explained.

Hind Safi, MD; Sarah Belghmaidi, MD, PhD; Ibtissam Hajji, MD, PhD; and Abdeljalil Moutaouakil, MD, PhD

Retina Today

KEY TAKEAWAYS Spontaneous lens absorption is a rare complication that can occur in association with various conditions, including hypermature or traumatic cataract, as well as in the late stages of uveitis or other infectious diseases. Spontaneous lens absorption is considered unlikely in the presence of an intact lens capsule and is rather facilitated by its rupture, whether macroscopic or microscopic, thus allowing the leakage of lens material. In each case the authors report, a desiccation cataract was present during the postoperative period following 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for retinal detachment repair, followed by a progressive densification of the cataract and, later, spontaneous transition to an aphakic state. Spontaneous lens absorption is a rare complication that can occur in association with various conditions, including hypermature or traumatic cataract, as well as in the late stages of uveitis or other infectious diseases.1-3 Lens absorption following pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is an unusual finding that has rarely been reported in the literature, with one case describing spontaneous cataract absorption diagnosed 7 years after the initial vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade.4 We report here two similar cases of spontaneous lens absorption following PPV with gas tamponade to repair rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, which were subsequently treated with IOL implantation. CLINICAL FEATURES Case No. 1 A 54-year-old man with a history of systemic hypertension presented to our clinic with a sudden decrease in vision in his left eye. His VA was 20/25 OD and counting fingers at 1 m OS at presentation. On examination, the anterior segment was unremarkable with a transparent crystalline lens in each eye. Fundus photography revealed a superior macula-off retinal detachment in his left eye, extending from the 10 to 2 clock hours with multiple peripheral tears; the right fundus was normal. The patient underwent 23-gauge transconjunctival PPV with C2F6 gas tamponade.