Cataract surgery in Stevens-Johnson syndrome

Cataract surgery can be safely performed in patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) with visually significant cataracts. Maintaining ocular surface integrity improves the prognosis of cataract surgery in this high-risk population. We present the outcome of cataract surgery in a retrospective chart review of 3 eyes in 2 patients with SJS. Uneventful extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation was performed. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 24 months. The visual acuity and ocular surface integrity were reviewed. The preoperative visual acuity was counting fingers at 1 meter in all 3 eyes. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved to 20/40 in 2 eyes and 20/50 in 1 eye postoperatively. A drop in BCVA ranging from 20/100 to 20/200 was noted during follow-up.