Pigment deposits on hydrophilic intraocular lenses after phacoemulsification cataract surgery

A heterogeneous group of conditions can cause changes to the intraocular lens (IOL) during or after implantation in uneventful cataract surgery. We describe a series of 5 patients presenting distinctive deposits on the surface of hydrophilic intraocular lenses, implanted during routine cataract surgery, with a follow-up of 1 to 24 months. Disposable forceps were found to be the source of the pigmented marks when used to hold the lens during the injector loading process. At the slit-lamp examination, the pigments were located in the centre of the lens optic, easily detectable. Although involving the visual axis, none of the patients were visually affected. To our knowledge, this is the first time such unusual occurrence has been described. The reported case-series shows the importance of in-house follow-up after cataract surgery.