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Cataract and Vision and Amblyopia by L. E. Leguire Ph.D., MBA The website for the National Eye Institute - National Institutes of Health (NEI-NIH) at www.nei.nih.gov is a wonderful website for information about all kinds of eye problems as well as a great resource for information on research topics such as amblyopia, its causes and treatments. As an example, below is a picture of a congenital cataract - a cataract some infants may be born with and which can cause severe amblyopia if not detected and treated within the first few months of life. The cataract shown in Figure 1 is large and dense and would obscure and scatter light entering the eye and would prevent the infant from seeing objects clearly. An example of what a child might see through a congenital cataract is illustrated in Figure 2. The picture shown in Figure 2 is blurry because the congenital cataract scatters light in all directions, much like looking through waxed paper. This blurry picture is what the child with a cataract might experience. Because fine details of the picture are "washed-out", the brain doesn't have a chance to see clear, sharp objects and, as a consequence, the brain loses the ability to see fine details; in other words, it becomes amblyopic. A child with a congenital cataract would have to have the lens of the eye with the cataract removed, if the cataract is "bad enough" as determined by an eye doctor. Once the lens (and cataract) of the eye is removed, the child would need to have his or her vision optically corrected by, for example, an intraocular lens (similar to a contact lens that fits inside the eye and replaces the natural lens of the eye). In addition, if the child has a lazy eye, therapy would need to be started, sometimes even before the lens is removed, to improve vision to normal levels. In general, the earlier the cataract is identified and treated the better the visual outcome. Visit the website for the NEI-NIH at www.nei.nih.gov you will be glad you did.
Figure 1. A white congenital cataract. Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health 
Figure 2. A scene as it might be viewed by a person with cataract. Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health  |