Suppression of the hyperosmolarity response after cataract surgery.

The hyperosmolarity response was recorded with the electrooculogram in the dark before and after cataract extraction, to investigate a possible disorder in the retinal pigment epithelium after cataract extraction. The hyperosmolarity response was suppressed one week after surgery, especially after intracapsular extraction. The response recovered up to the preoperative level in most cases one or two months after surgery. These findings indicate reversible functional disorders of the pigment epithelium after cataract extraction, particularly intracapsular. This dysfunction can be revealed by the hyperosmolarity response. This response is clinically useful for diagnosis of pigment epitheliopathy after cataract extraction.