When cortical cataract occurs in the cortex of the lens opacities in the periphery, along the equator and the visual acuity is preserved for a long time. Usually turbidity develops on both sides, but it is uneven, asymmetrical.
Stages of development of cortical cataract:
The initial cortical cataract. In the initial stage, patients complain of a sense of smoke and flies before my eyes. Sometimes there poliopiya when a patient sees with one eye a few items. Under side illumination ophthalmologist can see the peripheral lens opacity. The initial stage of cortical cataracts in some patients can occur many years, and other rapidly progressing within 2 or 3 years and the next stage.
Immature cataracts. At this stage in the lens increases the amount of water turbidity extends almost the entire cortex. Surface of the lens becomes convex lens is part of the volume of the anterior chamber, but the intraocular pressure remains normal. The patient is worried about a significant reduction in vision. When viewed from the lens show a gray-white with a pearlescent hue.
A mature cataract. The lens begins to lose water. Turbidity increases and becomes uniform. Color lens becomes dirty gray. The patient complains of loss of vision. May be possible to retain light perception and distinguish between light and darkness.
Overripe cataracts. Tissue component of the lens gradually undergoes degeneration and decay. The bark is softened lens. The lens is again swells and increases in size. Color lenses are uniformly milky. Sometimes this stage is called breast cataract. Swollen lens takes up most of the anterior chamber, violates the outflow of intraocular fluid, which is accompanied by an increase in intraocular pressure and the onset of secondary glaucoma. May become a dangerous bout a sharp increase in intraocular pressure, which can be lost forever retina and vision is lost. Further tissue lens thins and disperses, the lens is reduced in volume. On the periphery of the lens a few enlightened, and its kernel, brown under the influence of the weight goes down. The contents of the lens can completely disappear, there remains only the capsule and inside her brown core. At the final stage of the core can dissolve and remain on the lens capsule only. Vision with significantly improved and there is a strong long-sightedness. The absence of the lens is called aphakia. But such an outcome is quite rare, because glaucoma, occurs in stages in the development of cataracts, can lead to blindness, and the process of resorption of the nucleus is extremely long.
