Senile cataract and strabismus

Purpose
To evaluate whether the periodical sensory deprivation due to senile cataract and leading to strabismus, can result in the loss of binocularity.

Material and methods
We examined 26 patients with dense cataract in one or both eyes and with strabismus that appeared after development of cataract in the absence of any other ophthalmological defect. All the patients had cataract extracted in one or both eyes by the method of phacoemulsification with implantation of PC IOL. Examination included: measurement of deviation of the eye for distance before and after surgery, visual acuity before and after treatment, stereopsis on Titmus test for distance.

Results
All patients had exodeviation of -10 to -40 degrees before surgery. Visual acuity before treatment was low: maximum was 0.1. 81% of patients had VA on the level of hand movement or worse. Six months after treatment 19 patients were orthotopic, and in 7 patients the deviating eye changed (these patients had cataract in both eyes). 2 of these patients had cataract surgery and regained orthotopic position. Among 21 orthotopic patients after surgery, stereopsis was present in 18 (86%).

Conclusions
Sensory deprivation due to dense cataract can cause exodeviation. In most cases it does not lead to loss of binocularity.