Aphakia

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Aphakia
SpecialtyOphthalmology

Aphakia is the absence of the

hyperopia),[1] and a deep anterior chamber. Complications include detachment of the vitreous or retina, and glaucoma
.

Babies are rarely born with aphakia. Occurrence most often results from surgery to remove a congenital cataract. Congenital cataracts usually develop as a result of infection of the fetus or genetic reasons. It is often difficult to identify the exact cause of these cataracts, especially if only one eye is affected.

People with aphakia have relatively small pupils and their pupils dilate to a lesser degree.[2]

Causes

Surgical removal of a lens, mainly in cataract surgery, is the most common cause of aphakia.[1] Spontaneous traumatic absorption or congenital absence of lens matter is rare.[3][4] Traumatic subluxation or dislocation of a lens may cause it.[1]

Signs and symptoms

  • Hypermetropia: Without the focusing power of the lens, the eye becomes very
    farsighted
    .
  • Loss of accommodation: Since the lens and its
    accommodation
    .
  • Defective vision: High degree hypermetropia and total loss of accommodation cause defective vision for both distance and near.
  • Cyanopsia: Absence of lens cause cyanopsia or blue vision.[1] Some individuals have said that they perceive ultraviolet light, invisible to those with a lens, as whitish blue or whitish-violet.[5][6]
  • Erythropsia: Sometimes, objects appear reddish.[1]
  • Deep anterior chamber: Since the lens is absent, anterior chamber will be deep.
  • Iridodonesis:[1] Iridodonesis is the vibration or agitated motion of the iris with eye movement.
  • Purkinje test shows only two images; the reflection from anterior and posterior corneal surfaces.[1]
  • Iridectomy mark may be seen in surgical aphakia.[7]
  • extracapsular cataract extraction.[7]

Complications

Main complications of surgical aphakia include:

Treatment

Aphakia can be corrected by wearing

pseudophakic
".

Etymology

From Ancient Greek a-, privative prefix + phakós, lentil, anything shaped like a lentil, e.g. a lens, via New Latin.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ .
  2. .
  3. .
  4. ^ "Congenital primary aphakia". rarediseases.info.nih.gov.
  5. S2CID 20005737
    .
  6. ^ David Hambling (29 May 2002). "Let the light shine in". The Guardian.
  7. ^
    OCLC 49561947.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link
    )
  8. ^ .
  9. .
  10. OCLC 1051774434.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link
    )
  11. ^ aphakia at Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aphakia
  12. ^ aphakia. (n.d.) Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary. (2012). Retrieved April 13, 2016 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/aphakia

External links