Determinants of cataract types following pars plana vitrectomy: roles of underlying diseases, age, surgery duration, and silicone oil tamponade.

BACKGROUND

To investigate the incidence and risk factors for different types of cataracts following pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in patients with vitreoretinal diseases.

METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed 561 participants who underwent PPV and subsequent phacoemulsification. Lens opacity progression, including cortical cataract, nuclear sclerosis (NS) and posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) was assessed using the Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III). Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were employed to identify risk factors associated with significant PSC progression.

RESULTS

Among the 561 participants analyzed, NS was the predominant cataract type after PPV, followed by PSC and mixed cataracts. The progression of PSC was significantly higher in participants with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and silicone oil tamponade (67.6%, 64.3% and 63.6%, respectively). Additionally, younger age and longer operative duration were identified as key risk factors, with 54.5 years determined as the cutoff age for increased PSC susceptibility by ROC analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Nuclear sclerosis was the most common type of cataract after PPV. Posterior subcapsular cataract progression was associated with specific factors, including PDR, PCV, silicone oil tamponade, longer operative duration and younger age. These findings could be used to prognosticate cataract following PPV.