AUTOFLOURESCENCE IN CATARACTOUS HUMAN LENS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO LIGHT SCATTER

The autofluorescence profile of the lens was measured from 84 eyes of 84 patients with cortical, nuclear, posterior subcapsular, or mixed le ns opacities. Measurements were performed with a fluorometer in the bl ue-green autofluorescence range (495 nm/520 nm). The mean maximum auto fluorescence value differed in every cataract group statistically sign ificantly from that of the age matched controls (p less-than-or-equal- to 0.0058). The highest autofluorescence values were measured in nucle ar and mixed cataract groups (p < 0.0001) with high and narrow autoflu orescence profile. In cortical cataracts the curve was low and flatten ed and the mean maximum autofluorescence value was lower than in the c ontrol eves (p < 0.0001). The maximum autofluorescence was related to lens coloration as well as to visual acuity only in nuclear cataract. The regression between maximum autofluorescence and light scatter was statistically significant only in the nuclear cataract group (p = 0.00 04). Since the autofluorescence profiles differed not only in height b ut also in width between the cataract groups, various width/maximum au tofluorescence ratios were measured. In nuclear and mixed cataract gro ups the ratio 75% width/maximum autofluorescence was statistically sig nificantly lower than in other groups (p < 0.0001). In cortical catara cts the ratio (50% width - 75% width)/maximum autofluorescence was sta tistically significantly higher than in other groups (p < 0.0001).