Incidence of aphakic macular oedema. A prospective study.

A prospective angiographic study of 77 aphakic eyes demonstrated cystoid macular oedema in 36 eyes (46-7 per cent) 6 to 7 weeks postoperatively. This subsequently resolved in 16 eyes, improved in eight, and was no better or worse in five (eight patients failed to return for follow-up). Of those patients with cystoid oedema, 16-6 per cent had a visual acuity of less than 6/12 at the time of the original examination; this was reduced to 13-8 per cent at the time of the follow-up study. The mean visual acuity of the group with oedema improved from 6/9 to 6/7-5 between the two examinations compared with 6/6 in the remaining 53-3 per cent without oedema. Preoperative ocular or general disease, specific surgical technique, and vitreous loss were not shown to be associated with macular oedema. However, there was some indication that intraocular inflammation predisposed to macular oedema.