Galactose tolerance in patients with atopic cataracts.

Galactosaemia has been suggested as a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of some presenile and senile cataracts. To assess whether galactosaemia plays any part in the development of atopic cataracts a galactose tolerance test was carried out in eight atopic dermatitis patients whose cataracts had appeared between the ages of 12 and 39 years. In seven patients a normal result was obtained and in one the result was just above normal. Impaired galactose tolerance appears to have no role in the pathogenesis of atopic cataract.