Purpose: To report calcification of intraocular lenses (IOLs) after various keratoplasty procedures.
Methods: Clinical data of all cases with calcified IOLs after keratoplasty procedures were analyzed. A total of 6 explanted IOLs were analyzed with light microscopy before and after staining with 1% alizarin red and the von Kossa method.
Results: A total of 7 cases occurred after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty, 1 case after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, and 2 cases after penetrating keratoplasty. Median time interval from keratoplasty to first notice of IOL opacification was 6.5 months (minimum 3 months, maximum 51 months). A total of 3 IOLs had been placed at the time of keratoplasty and 7 IOLs before keratoplasty. All affected IOLs were hydrophilic acrylic and comprised IOLs from at least 3 different polymer sources. Common clinical aspects were some amount of inflammation in the anterior chamber during the postoperative period and use of air at the end of surgery in 8 of the 10 cases. Histochemical analysis demonstrated the presence of fine granular deposits located within the very superficial optic material in all cases. The deposits stained positive for calcium with alizarin red and the von Kossa method.
Conclusions: IOL calcification associated with keratoplasty in our series does not seem to be a problem related to a specific IOL model or polymer. The process of calcification may be mediated by inflammation, which also may be related to multiple injections of air into the anterior chamber.