A 70-year-old woman complains of difficulty reading in bright light and glare from oncoming headlights at night. Visual acuity is 6/12. Slit-lamp shows a dense plaque-like opacity immediately beneath the posterior capsule. Which type of cataract explains these symptoms?

• A Anterior subcapsular cataract
• B Nuclear cataract
• C Coronary cataract
• D Posterior subcapsular cataract ✓

Explanation

Posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) sits at the nodal point of the eye and disproportionately impairs vision in bright light (miosis concentrates light through the opacity) and causes glare and halos at night. It is commonly associated with corticosteroid use, diabetes, and uveitis, and also occurs as an age-related change. PSC causes earlier and more severe visual disability per unit opacity compared with nuclear or cortical cataracts.

Reference: Khurana Comprehensive Ophthalmology, 7th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.