A Glistening Intraocular Lens: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction Cataract surgery with a posterior chamber intraocular lens (PCIOL) is one of the most performed surgeries in North America. A common complication of cataract surgery is the development of post-surgical opacities on the posterior lens capsule, known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO). When visually significant, PCO is treated with a YAG laser. Less commonly however, opacities can form within the lens implant itself known as lens glistening. Case Presentation An 86-year-old male patient with a history of macular retinoschisis and vitreoretinal traction in both eyes presented to the eye clinic with complaints of visual disturbance in the left eye over the course of 4 months. Clinical examination and diagnostic testing revealed stable retinal disease with new findings of PCIOLs with lens glistening, left eye greater than right eye. The patient was referred to the cataract surgeon and the decision was made to manage the lens glistening conservatively. Discussion Lens glistening can be managed with observation or intraocular lens (IOL) exchange depending on its impact on the patient’s quality of life or the degree to which the opacities preclude examination of the fundus.