You are working up a 70-year-old patient who states that she is "ecstastic" because she can finally read without bifocal or readers. She states that this "new reading vision" only started for the past year. Prior to that, she had to wear bifocals since age 45. Which of the following likely explains her newfound reading vision?
Refractometry
Refractive Errors
No
U
C
This is a common phenomenon that occurs with increasingly-dense nuclear cataracts often called "second sight" since patients have renewed improvement in their reading vision. Increasing density of a nuclear cataract will increase its focusing power inducing mild degrees of myopia.
A tell-tale sign that a cataract is becoming more dense is if you find that a patient's manifest refraction is gradually becoming more myopic with time. Though the patient may enjoy some of the induced myopia, eventually it will become bothersome and also will not provide good quality of vision even with full correction with glasses or contact lenses. At this time, cataract surgery is typically warranted and recommended.
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