75-year-old patient develops phacolytic glaucoma

BMJ Case Reports authors have described a case of phacolytic glaucoma in a 75-year-old patient.

The patient was initially referred to hospital with suspected microbial keratitis and endophthalmitis. The condition had not responded to antifungal or antimicrobial agents.

Indian clinicians report that the patient developed pain, redness and loss of vision in her right eye, but did not seek treatment because of her rural background and low socioeconomic status.

She began to suffer from corneal opacification in her right eye and sleep-disturbing pain.

By the time of presentation at hospital, the patient’s visual acuity was limited to light perception in her right eye and hand motions in her left eye.

She was diagnosed with phacolytic glaucoma and lens-induced uveitis. The cataract was extracted after control of intraocular pressure (IOP).

There was a complete resolution of pain following surgery and at three-month follow up the patient’s IOP was controlled without the use of glaucoma medication. 

Image credit: Pixabay/stevepb