A case series of bilateral electric cataract in high-voltage electrical injury

Abstract

A 39 year-old female presented with progressive diminution of vision in the right eye for six months after sustaining an injury from a high-voltage electric current to the right side of her forehead, face, around the right eye and to the scalp. On examination with the slit lamp, the right eye showed a mature cataract and anterior subcapsular opacities, with early lental opacity in left eye. She suffered from lagophthalmos and slight conjunctival congestion in the right eye. Vision in the right eye was only perception of light and in the left eye accurate projection of rays and 6/24. From the history, the type of injury (wound of entry and exit), and slit-lamp examination confirmed a case of bilateral electric cataract. We performed manual smallincision cataract surgery with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in right eye and in the left eye, using local anesthesia. Postoperative visual acuity was only 3/20 in the right eye and 6/6 in the left eye. In this case we have seen three circumscribed retinal lesions in the right eye; the left eye it was normal. This has been documented.The second case was a 20-year-old male, who was admitted to our center with bilateral electric cataract. He was treated the same way as the first case. He regained normal BCVA after cataract surgery with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation.