2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
11 Lens and Cataract
Chapter 5: Pathology
Lens Changes With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The lens may also undergo changes after hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. A myopic shift seems to occur universally during the course of treatment with HBO. This change, thought to be due to a refractive change in the crystalline lens, usually reverses after cessation of HBO treatment. However, several reports have documented the development of nuclear cataract over the course of multiple HBO treatment sessions.
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Butler FK Jr, Hagan C, Murphy-Lavoie H. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the eye. Undersea Hyperb Med. 2008;35(5):333–387.
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Palmquist BM, Phillipson B, Barr PO. Nuclear cataract and myopia during hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Br J Ophthalmol. 1984;68(2):113–117.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 11 - Lens and Cataract. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.