Sudden decrease in vision caused by liquefied after-cataract.

We report a case of sudden decrease to unilateral visual acuity in a 39-year-old patient who had extracapsular cataract surgery 5 years earlier. The decrease was caused by involvement of the visual axis because of a rare complication known as liquefied after-cataract. Treatment with a neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser was successfully performed. Although there was no rupture in the posterior capsule, the opacity disappeared and the visual acuity improved to 20/20. This new form of after-cataract can cause a sudden decrease in vision, and Nd:YAG laser treatment, even without a posterior capsule rupture, can be performed successfully.