Anitha S 1 , Girish Baliga
BACKGROUND Glaucoma in which the lens plays a role either by size or by position or by causing inflammation have been classified as lensinduced glaucoma. Lens-induced glaucomas are an important cause of secondary glaucoma in the developing world. This study was undertaken to outline the different characteristics of lens-induced glaucoma, to find out the proportion of their different subtypes, to find out why patients had delayed their cataract surgery, to find out visual outcome and the postoperative IOP control and optic disc changes and reasons for poor visual outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS Prospective, consecutive case series of 100 patients with lens-induced glaucomas who presented to a tertiary care hospital in South India over a period of one year. RESULTS Phacomorphic (55%) and phacolytic (45%) were the common lens-induced glaucomas encountered. Small incision cataract surgery with IOL implantation was the commonest surgery performed. 42% of patients had a visual acuity outcome of 6/12 or better. 85% of patients who presented within 3 days had a visual acuity of 6/12 or better. Patients who presented after 2 weeks were most likely to have disc damage. IOP was controlled in 94% of patients following cataract extraction. CONCLUSION Cataract surgery after control of uveitis and IOP can lead to good visual outcome and normal IOP postoperatively in lensinduced glaucomas. However, prolonged raised IOP can lead to optic disc damage.
