Cataract, Causes and Treatment

Definition

Cataract is an opacification (clouding) of the crystalline human lens which can affect retinal image formation.

Etiology

Due to the multiplicity of possible causes and phenotypes the disease can be classified in several ways. A basic distinction can be made between congenital and acquired (e.g., senile, traumatic or uveitic, or glaucomatous) cataract.

Congenital cataract is an opacification of the lens which is already present at birth or manifests itself during the first year of life (Kuhli-Hattenbach et al. 2008). Possible causes are intrauterine infections, metabolic diseases, and a large variety of syndromes. The intrauterine infectious diseases most frequently responsible for a congenital cataract are rubella, measles, herpes simplex, varicella, Epstein-Barr virus, influenza, Syphilis, and Toxoplasmosis. Frequent genetic causes are familiar congenital cataract, galactosemia, Down’s syndrome, trisomia 13, or Lowe’s syndrome. The phenotype of the lenticular opacification...