Cataract surgery by phacoemulsification in Werner's syndrome

We report two cases of Werner's syndrome, a sister and a brother of 32 and 28 years, respectively, who were operated on for cataracts in both eyes. Th is hereditary syndrome, also called the adult progeria, is characterized by several manifestations of premature aging. cataract surgery in this syndro me often predisposes to complications such as wound dehiscence and bullous keratopathy. The 4 eyes of the two patients were operated on using the phac oemulsification technique. The operations were successfull, and we did not observe any serious complications during the 2-year follow-up period: cysto id macular edema in the brother's right eye was easily cured by topical ind omethacin. This experience with these two patients showed that Werner's syndrome catar acts can be safely managed with the current phacoemulsification and small-i ncision surgery techniques.