The pattern of cataract and the postoperative outcome of cataract extraction in Ethiopian leprosy patients as compared to nonleprosy patients

Abstract

Cataract is a blinding disease occuring all over the world. One of the causes of cataract is leprosy. Sixty leprosy and 100 nonleprosy patients were assessed and underwent intracapsular cataract extraction. Leprosy patients with cataract were much younger than nonleprosy patients. The leprosy group had a significantly higher rate of complications and this was seen more in paucibacillary cases. There was a higher rate of visual disability in the leprosy group than in the nonleprosy group. Cataract was seen in younger patients in the leprosy group. This raised the possibility of leprosy being the cause of the cataract. The leprosy group consisted mostly of multibacillary cases, however unlike in other studies the rate of complications tended to be higher in the paucibacillary group. There were no preoperative findings that correlated with a low postoperative intraocular pressure.