Aj. Hofeldt et Mj. Weiss, ILLUMINATED NEAR CARD ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ACUITY IN EYES WITH CATARACT, Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.), 105(8), 1998, pp. 1531-1536
Objective: This study aimed to determine the accuracy and potential ro
le of the illuminated near card (INC) for predicting visual outcome af
ter cataract surgery in eyes with and without comorbid disease. Study
Design: A consecutive case series. Participants: A total of 101 preope
rative patients with cataracts participated. Main Outcome Measures: Ac
curacy of predicted postoperative distance acuity was measured. Method
: The preoperative acuity obtained with the INC was compared by linear
regression to the postoperative INC acuity and the postoperative dist
ance acuity for 100 consecutive eyes undergoing cataract surgery. Vari
ables analyzed were preoperative distance acuity and the presence or a
bsence of comorbid disease. Results: The preoperative INC acuity was s
ignificantly predictive of postoperative INC (P = 0.0005) and postoper
ative distance (P = 0.0007) acuities for the 100 eyes studied. For the
subgroup of 15 eyes with 20/200 or worse, the preoperative INC acuity
was not predictive of postoperative INC acuity (P = 0.8673) or postop
erative distance acuity (P = 0.8789), For the 21 eyes with comorbid di
sease, the predictions were more accurate for postoperative INC acuity
(P < 0.0001) and postoperative distance acuities (P < 0.0001) than fo
r 64 eyes without comorbid disease: postoperative INC acuity (P = 0.00
51), and postoperative distance acuity (P = 0.0046). The INC predicted
postoperative distance acuity to within two lines in 98% of eyes when
preoperative distance acuity was 20/100 or better, When the preoperat
ive distance acuity was 20/200 or worse, the postoperative distance vi
sion was predicted to within two lines in only 53% of the eyes. Conclu
sion: The INC can be a useful adjunct for predicting postoperative dis
tance acuity in eyes with cataract that have preoperative distance acu
ity of 20/100 or better, particularly in eyes with comorbid disease, i
n which the clinical judgment of vision potential may be difficult.