Risk factors for the occurrence of visual-threatening posterior capsule opacification

Background: To evaluate the potential risk factor of visual-threatening posterior capsule opacification (PCO) via the analysis of National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Patients and methods: A total of 8571 patients (3767 male and 4804 female) were recruited in the study group and 17,142 patients (7534 male and 9608 female) in the control group. Patients undergoing cataract surgery, acrysof single-piece intraocular lens implantation and Nd:YAG capsulotomy were selected as the study group. After exclusion which aimed to standardize the ocular condition and exclude the possibility that patients undergoing cataract surgery and Nd:YAG capsulotomy in different eyes, each patient in the study group was age-gender matched to two patients undergoing cataract surgery but without Nd:YAG capsulotomy. The demographic data, systemic disease, and ocular co-morbidities were obtained and analyzed. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) of each demographic data and co-morbidities to the development of visual-threatening PCO, and adjusted OR of co-morbidities to visual-threatening PCO develop within 1 year postoperatively. Results: The dry eye disease (DED), glaucoma, uveitis, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), hyperlipidemia, peptic ulcer disease and liver disease showed significant crude OR while the DED, glaucoma, AMD, hyperlipidemia and peptic ulcer disease revealed a significant adjusted OR. In the subgroup analysis, the DED, glaucoma, AMD, and hyperlipidemia still illustrated a higher adjusted OR to develop visual-threatening PCO within 1 year after the cataract surgery. Conclusion: The DED, glaucoma, AMD, hyperlipidemia and peptic ulcer disease may serve as the risk factor for the developing of visual-threatening PCO.