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The objective assessment of cataract

Abstract

The objective assessment of cataract is central to any epidemiological or therapeutic study of cataract. The objective methods consist of:

1: A resolution target projection ophthalmoscope (Acuity scope) for the estimation of potential visual acuity.

2: The Oxford Clinical Cataract Classification and Grading System, which records and quantifies the features of the lens that are visible at the slit-lamp microscope. This system is essential since photographic methods cannot define the morphology of cataract.

3: Two photographic methods; slit-lamp photography and retro-illumination photography are needed to give a comprehensive statement about the amount of cataract. The negatives are measured by computerised image analysis systems.

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Brown, N., Bron, A., Ayliffe, W. et al. The objective assessment of cataract. Eye 1, 234–246 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.1987.43

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