DIABETIC CATARACT IN DOGS: COMPLICATIONS, TREATMENT, OUTCOMES

Abstract

Diabetic cataracts are common in diabetic dogs and lead to blindness and lens-induced uveitis, the complications of which may lead to the need to remove the eyeball. The objectives of this study were to provide a clinical and ophthalmological characteristics of diabetic cataract in dogs, to describe pre-, intra- and postoperative complications of diabetic cataract phacoemulsification in dogs, and to identify relationships between different parameters of phacoemulsification, types of complications, and outcomes of treatment for diabetic cataract in dogs. The study included 22 dogs of various breeds with diabetes mellitus complicated by bilateral mature cataract, all animals underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, including biomicroscopy, ophthalmotonometry, examination of chromatic pupillary reflexes, ultrasound examination of the eyeball, and uni- or bilateral cataract phacoemulsification. In the course of the study, it was found that diabetic cataract in dogs develops on average 3.4 ± 2.9 months from the moment the patient has diabetes mellitus, is characterized by the formation of cracks in the anterior lens suture (77%), the average lens thickness is 0.82 ±0.16 cm, lens -induced uveitis. Preoperative complications included: aqueous flare, posterior capsular rupture, capsular fibrosis, and lens subluxation. Intraoperative complications: the release of liquefied cortex into capsulorhexis, are widespread (75%). The most common postoperative complications of diabetic cataract include POH (16.7%) and corneal dystrophy (13.9%). Correlation analysis revealed the relationship between the time to surgery, various parameters of the operation and types of complications, preoperative complications, in particular, spontaneous rupture of the posterior capsule, small lens thickness, and intraoperative complications are associated in this study with a negative outcome in terms of vision.