Solar cataract: A clinical report

Abstract

Solar Ultraviolet radiation is caractogenic, as there is increasing evidence implicating ultraviolet radiation as a risk factor in the aetiology of cataracts. Through absorption from sunlight exposure especially into the violet and of the visible range of the solar spectrum, cataract formation may occur due to physiochemical processes taking place in the crystalline lens of the human unprotected eye. These processes involve significant alteration of the proteins of the lens resulting in its opacity. It is suggested that the human eye should be shielded with protective glasses such as sun lenses and absorption lenses, when viewing the sun or if one is constantly engaged in professional and leisure exposure to light.

Key words: Solar cataract, human eye, ultraviolet radiation.