Higher-order ocular aberrations caused by crystalline lens waterclefts

PURPOSE: To compare visual acuity and ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) in eyes with waterclefts, a type of crystalline lens opacity, and in normal eyes. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. METHODS: In this nested case-control study of subjects attending the third examination of the Reykjavik Eye Study in 2008, eyes with pure waterclefts and control eyes with no lenticular opacity were evaluated. All candidates had complete ophthalmic examinations and wavefront analysis. Higher-order aberrations in the watercleft group and the control group were compared. RESULTS: The watercleft group comprised 30 eyes and the control group, 194 eyes. The mean corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) in the watercleft group was statistically significantly lower than in the control group (P<.01). There was a significant relationship between CDVA and HOA in both groups. Total HOA and trefoil and coma aberrations were statistically significantly higher in the watercleft group than in the control group (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Waterclefts significantly affected CDVA. Eyes with waterclefts had higher coma and trefoil aberrations, suggesting that the increased HOAs caused reduced visual acuity in eyes with waterclefts.