Cataract formation associated with ocular toxocariasis

Purpose To report the clinical features of cataracts in eyes with ocular toxocariasis. Setting Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hosptal, Seongnam, South Korea. Design Retrospective observational case series. Methods The clinical diagnosis of ocular toxocariasis was based on the following characteristic features: retinal granuloma with or without ocular inflammation and positive results in serum antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients younger than 60 years who presented with a unilateral cataract and were diagnosed with ocular toxocariasis between January 2009 and January 2012 were included. Demographic and ocular examination data for all patients showing atypical cataract features were collected. All cataracts were documented with anterior segment photography. Results Seven of 83 patients (8.4%) presented with an atypical cataract in the eye with ocular toxocariasis only. The mean patient age was 49.7 years ± 8.3 (SD) (range 38 to 59 years). All patients had small, round, white lens opacities resembling retinal granulomas. The granuloma-like opacities were located primarily in the lens midperiphery and in the subcapsular level. The lens opacity migrated in 1 patient. Conclusions Ocular toxocariasis can cause a cataract with distinctive clinical features. These cataracts show a granuloma-like opacity primarily in the posterior subcapsular level; the opacity can migrate. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.