PERSISTING CORNEAL EDEMA FOLLOWING INTRACAPSULAR CATARACT-EXTRACTION

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to reveal the frequency of pers isting corneal oedema following intracapsular cataract extraction and at the same time to examine whether the survival rate after penetratin g keratoplasty due to this diagnosis differs from the survival rate fo llowing penetrating keratoplasty due to primary Fuchs' endothelial dys trophy. Mehtods and Material: A series of 2455 eyes underwent intracap sular cataract extraction between January 1, 1986 and December 31, 198 8, at the Department of Ophthalmology, Arhus University Hospital, The medical files were examined to study the frequency of persisting corne al oedema, Patients with persisting corneal oedema were offered penetr ating keratoplasty and the survival rate following this procedure was calculated. Results: The frequency of pseudophakic persisting corneal oedema was 5.3% in the group of patients who underwent intracapsular c ataract extraction, The survival of the following corneal transplantat ion was 54% after 2 years of follow-up, This is a low survival rate co mpared to tile survival rate in primary Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy, but there is a similarity to this disease in a development of a slowly progressive oedema in 17% compared to 13% in primary Fuchs' endotheli al dystrophy. Conclusion: 5.3% of a group of patients who underwent in tracapsular cataract extraction developed persisting corneal oedema wi thin a 5 to 7-year follow-up period, When these patients underwent pen etrating keratoplasty the survival rate of the graft was 54% after 2 y ears of follow-up.