Cataracts Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cataracts, including details on surgical procedures, outcomes, causes, treatment.

Rapidly progressing bilateral cataracts in a patient with beta thalassemia and pellagra.

Athanasiadis I, Konstantinidis A, Kyprianou I, Robinson R, Moschou V, Kouzi-Koliakos K

Ophthalmology Department, Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry and Warwickshire University Hospitals NHS Trust, Coventry, United Kingdom. athana1972@yahoo.com

Soon after the diagnosis of pellagra in a 20-year-old patient with beta thalassemia, bilateral intumescent cataracts rapidly developed. We believe the patient's crystalline lenses were at an increased oxidative state due to iron overload from the thalassemia. Depletion of the lens epithelial cells of an important antioxidative agent (glutathione) as a result of niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency due to pellagra reduced the antioxidative capacity of the lenses. The oxidative damage led to rapid development of cataracts.

Published 27 August 2007 in J Cataract Refract Surg, 33(9): 1659-61.
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