Acute juvenile cataract in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients: a description of six cases

Cataract represents one of the most frequent eye complications in type 1 and type 2 patients; contrarily, acute cataract in young diabetic patients occurs very rarely. The aim of this study was to describe six cases of acute cataract in adolescents at the onset of type 1 diabetes. Eight hundred and twenty-six patients with type 1 diabetes were retrospectively studied. A multivariate analysis was applied to verify the weight of the following laboratory findings taken on admission (independent variables): glycemia, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), pH, base excess (BE), and on the occurrence of cataract (dependent variable). Six patients (0.7%) presented with acute lens opacities. Cataract development was significantly correlated with HbA1c and glycemia. The relative risk increases about twice for each percentage point from 12.8 to 14.1% of HbA1c; glycemic blood levels represent a moderate risk factor for cataractogenesis. Ketoacidosis and BE were not significantly correlated.