Clinical method for measurement of light backscattering from the in vivo human lens.

A simple clinical method for measurement of light backscatter from defined regions of the lens in vivo is described. Light scattering was quantitated in 168 lenses of 85 "normal" subjects spanning 8 decades of life. The results indicate that light scatter from the anterior capsule does not change with age. The light scatter from the anterior cortex is quite significant even in young lenses and gradually increases with age. The backscatter in the nuclear region is minimal in young eyes, increasing gradually up to the age of 40, after which it exhibits a sharp increase.