Glistenings in the Artiflex phakic intraocular lens

PURPOSE: To report the appearance of glistenings in the Artiflex iris-claw phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) (Ophtec B.V.); evaluate their prevalence, severity, and visual significance; and determine whether a large in-depth study of the IOL is warranted. SETTING: La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain. METHODS: Twenty eyes of 13 patients who had the Artiflex pIOL implantation at the same institution over a 2-year period were randomly selected and evaluated by slitlamp examination; visual acuity was also measured. Glistenings in the Artiflex pIOL were graded from trace to 4+ at the slitlamp. RESULTS: Four Artiflex pIOLs had lenticular glistenings ranging from grade 1+ to grade 4+. Analysis of visual acuity and patient satisfaction showed that the glistenings had no clinical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Glistenings appeared some Artiflex pIOLs to varying degrees, although they were not visually significant in any case. A larger study of this IOL is needed to determine whether severe cases of glistenings affect visual function and assess their cause and evolution over time.