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Study objective: To evaluate the prevalence of posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSCC) in asthmatic patients receiving corticosteroid therapy
Design: The cases were examined by the same ophthalmologist who didn’t know the group patient allocated. Examination was performed by slit-lamb biomicroscopy following pupillary dilation with tropic-amid 0.5%. The clinical files of the patients receiving corticosteroid therapy were analyzed.
Patients: This study included three groups. Group I included 25 healthy subjects [ mean age: 22.8 (range: 8-48). Group II included 25 asthmatic cases mean age:23.1 (range:10-50) receiving specific immunotherapy and/or sodium cromoglycate for at least a year. Group III included consecutive 110 asthmatic patients mean age: 22.9 (range: 5- 48) receiving inhaled corticosteroid for at least a year.
Interventions: All of the cases were examined by slit lamb biomicroscopy. The 3 child cases having PSCC were
examined by roentgenograms of the digital and wrist bones.
Measurements: We studied the prevalence of PSCC in asthmatic patients receiving corticosteroid therapy and compared it with the prevalence of PSCC in other groups. Usage of glucocorticoid were analyzed in patients with PSCC.
Results: No PSCC was found in group I and group II, but four PSCC was found in group III (p>0.05). Three of these four cases were children and they were only receiving inhaled corticosteroid. One case was adult and was receiving inhaled and systemic corticosteroid therapy. The prevalence of PSCC was 3.6% in all the patients and 3-9% (3/76) in children.
Conclusion: We suggest that ophthalmological examinations should be performed routinely, particularly in patients receiving inhaled corticosteroid for longer than two years..