Cataract and the Slitlamp Biomicroscope

Another common ocular condition is the cataract. This is a gradual opacification of the clear crystalline lens of the eye which results in a fuzziness of vision. It is a very common condition of the aging eye, and occurs in up to two-thirds of persons over the age of 60 years. Depending on the extent of the cataract, and the area of the lens it affects, the cataract will be either more or less debilitating. So deciding when surgery is appropriate is very much dependent on the patient and how their lifestyle is affected. Generally, it is time to take a cataract out when the patient decides it is time.

The slitlamp biomicroscope is an instrument used to closely examine the front of the eye. In many cases ocular pathology is not visible to the examiner unless the eye is illuminated in a certain way: for example the star cataract above is only visible by light that is refracted off of the surface of the retina, which is behind the cataract. The slit lamp biomicroscope also, as the name implies, magnifies the view of the front of the eye. This enables small abnormalities, such as debris in tears and corneal changes, to be easily visible.