CATARACT PROGRESSION IN INDIA

Aims-The study was undertaken to test the feasibility of using the LOG S III cataract grading scale in the field and to determine the rate of cataract progression over a 1 year period of time. Methods-For 150 su bjects between the ages of 33 and 55 who attended the refraction clini c at Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India, lens abnormalities were g raded at the slit lamp using the LOGS III scale. One year later, 99 of the subjects were re-evaluated by the same methodology to assess the amount of lens change. Results-Interrater reliability was high. A chan ge of 0.5 or more in lens colour, cortical, nuclear, or posterior subc apsular cataract was observed in at least one eye of 54% of the subjec ts. Conclusion-The LOGS III grading scale is a feasible method for mea suring lens changes in the field with the slit lamp. Cataract progress ion in India is rapid enough to permit-intervention studies to be perf ormed with relatively small numbers of subjects over a short period of time (that is, 600 subjects for 2 years).