[Importance of biomicroscopy in the determination of density of cataract before phacoemulsification].

Biomicroscopy was used to examine cataracts before phacoemulsification in 820 patients aged 2 to 83. It helped assess the lens solidity from the intensity of the nucleus staining in the majority of cases. In senile cataracts the intensity of the nucleus staining increases with age, as is the length of ultrasonic exposure necessary for the nucleus emulsification, whereas in congenital or traumatic cataracts such a correlation is not observed. The authors necessitate the development of a method for objective assessment of the cataract solidity before surgery.