Aphakia

Causes

• Surgical: Surgical removal of lens, mainly in cataract surgery is the most common cause of aphakia.
• Spontaneous absorption of lens: Traumatic absorption of lens matter is a rare condition.
• Congenital primary aphakia: Congenital absence of lens is a rare condition.
• Subluxation or dislocation of lens: Traumatic subluxation or dislocation of lens may cause aphakia. It may occur due to congenital problems also.

  Signs and symptoms

• Hypermetropia: Without the focusing power of the lens, the eye becomes very farsighted.
• Loss of accommodation: Since the lens and its zonules are responsible for adjusting the focus of vision to different lengths, patients with aphakia will have a total loss of 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. Some individuals have said that they perceive ultraviolet light, invisible to those with a lens, as whitish blue or whitish-violet.
• Erythropsia: Sometimes, objects appear reddish.
• Deep anterior chamber: Since lens is absent, anterior chamber will be deep.
• Iridodonesis: 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.
• Iridectomy mark may be seen in surgical aphakia.
• Astigmatism: With-the-rule astigmatism due to corneal wound healing may occur in surgical aphakia, mainly after ICCE or ECCE.

Treatment

Etymology