Abstract
The effect on the human lens of prolonged hyperbaric oxygen therapy is reported. Eye examinations were given to 25 patients before, during, and after a series of 150 or more exposures to hyperbaric oxygen. All patients changed refraction in the direction of myopia during treatment. Fifteen of the patients had clear lens nuclei before treatment. Seven of these developed a nuclear cataract with reduced visual acuity during treatment. Reversible lens myopia has previously been noticed as a side effect of exposure to hyperbaric oxygen, but the cataractogenic effect in man has not been reported by other workers. This report strongly supports the theory of an oxidative damage to the lens proteins as a cause of nuclear cataract.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Anderson B., Jr, Farmer J. C., Jr Hyperoxic myopia. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 1978;76:116–124. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FLETCHER M. C., BRANDON S. Myopia of prematurity. Am J Ophthalmol. 1955 Oct;40(4):474–481. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(55)90548-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KINSEY V. E. Retrolental fibroplasia; cooperative study of retrolental fibroplasia and the use of oxygen. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1956 Oct;56(4):481–543. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lyne A. J. Ocular effects of hyperbaric oxygen. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K. 1978 Apr;98(1):66–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nichols C. W., Lambertsen C. Effects of high oxygen pressures on the eye. N Engl J Med. 1969 Jul 3;281(1):25–30. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196907032810106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nichols C. W., Yanoff M., Hall D. A., Lambertsen C. J. Histologic alterations produced in the eye by oxygen at high pressure. Arch Ophthalmol. 1972 Apr;87(4):417–421. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1972.01000020419011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schocket S. S., Esterson J., Bradford B., Michaelis M., Richards R. D. Induction of cataracts in mice by exposure to oxygen. Isr J Med Sci. 1972 Aug-Sep;8(8):1596–1601. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Spector A. Aggregation of a-crystallin and its possible relationship to cataract formation. Isr J Med Sci. 1972 Aug-Sep;8(8):1577–1582. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]