EXPRESS: Rare Occurrence of an Intumescent Cataract in a Diabetic Domestic Long-Hair Cat

A domestic long-hair cat in Australia was referred to an ophthalmology service with the complaint of lens opacity. An incipient cataract was diagnosed in the right eye, and an intumescent cataract with an equatorial lens capsule rupture in the left eye. The patient was being treated for diabetes mellitus and previous concerns for the eyes had included conjunctivitis and left sided periocular swelling and epiphora. Systemic workup performed over the 7 months prior to ophthalmic referral included complete blood counts, biochemistry, serology (feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukaemia virus, toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis), thoracic radiographs, and ocular ultrasound and electroretinography performed prior to phacoemulsification. The patient did not have evidence of active uveitis at the initial ophthalmological examination and historical serology excluded some common infectious causes of uveitis. The cataracts were treated successfully by phacoemulsification in both eyes, restoring vision but with unilateral intraocular lens placement in the right eye only due to the pre-existing lens capsule tear in the left eye precluding intraocular lens placement. Based on the medical history and clinical presentation, diabetes mellitus was suspected to be the cause of the cataracts.