[Foreign body reaction after lens implantation. Correlation between visual acuity and density of giant cells].

In the early postoperative stage giant cells often appear on IOLs. Independent of this, a foreign-body reaction may start about 3 months after surgery from posterior synechia. Foreign-body reaction occur more frequently in diabetic patients or patients with glaucoma. In a prospective trial, we examined the surface of the IOLs from 115 patients with diabetes or glaucoma using specular microscopy. We compared the maximal density of the cells to visual acuity. One week and 1 month after surgery, the maximal density of giant cells was between 0 und 20/mm2; vision (median) was independent of the giant cell density in all groups between 20/25 and 20/30. Three months after surgery, the maximal density of giant cells was between 0 und 35/mm2; vision (median) was 20/25 in patients with no giant cells or cell densities up to 15/mm2. Seven patients had cell densities between 16 and 35/mm2; visual acuity (median) was 20/125. The difference was significance was (P < or = 0.05). Six months and 1 year later after surgery, the maximal density of giant cells was between 0 and 41/mm2; the vision (median) in patients with giant cell densities up to 15/mm2 was between 20/20 and 20/25. In five examinations the cell densities were found to be in the range of 16 to 40/mm2; visual acuity (median) was 20/80 in these cases. The difference is not significant (P < or = 0.05). A foreign-body reaction with more than 15 giant cells/mm2 is a rare complication of cataract surgery with lens implantation. Three months after surgery, this complication correlates with poor vision.