A study of Morphology of Cataract in Surgery Candidates in Ardabil: Iran

  Background & objectives: Cataract is the most common cause of blindness in the world and it is estimated that about 100,000 cataract surgeries are performed annually in Iran. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of different morphological types of cataract and some related causes in patients undergoing surgery at Noor Surgery Center in Ardabil. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 780 patients referred to the Noor ophthalmology clinic in Ardabil with cataract diagnosis. The data were collected using a checklist by the researcher. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25 software and descriptive statistical methods. Results: Of the 1,018 eyes (780 patients), 590 eyes (58%) were related to women and 428 eyes (42%) were related to men and the mean age of all patients was 65.88±11.43. the mean grade of posterior  subcapsular cataract (PSC), nuclear and cortical cataracts were 4.56±0.62, 4.79±0.89 and 4.21±0.48 respectively. There was a significant difference between normal retina diabetics (p=0.034), pseudo exfoliation syndrome (PEX) (p=0.001), hyperopic (p=0.008), corneal opacity (p=0.036) and patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) (p=0.032) and other patients in terms of cataract type (p=0.034). There was no significant relationship between other comorbidities and cataract type. Conclusion:According to the results of the present study based on the significant relationship of some diseases with different morphological types of cataracts, accurate preoperative evaluation and planning for associated comorbidities is recommended.