Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide and remain an important cause of blindness and visual impairment in the United States, accounting for approximately 50% of low-vision cases in adults over the age of 40.¹ Cataracts are the leading cause of treatable blindness among Americans of African descent age 40 and older and are the leading cause of low vision among Americans of African, Hispanic/Latino, and European descent.¹ The Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group estimated that the number of individuals with cataracts will increase by 50% by 2020, based on United States (US) Census population estimates.²

There are several different types of cataracts: nuclear, cortical (spoke-like or oil droplet), subcapsular (anterior and posterior), and mixed. Each type has its own anatomical location, pathology, and risk factors for development. Several systems are available to classify and grade lens opacities.^3-7 Nuclear cataracts consist of a central opacification or coloration that interferes with visual function. There are different types of nuclear cataracts, accompanied by either brunescence, opalescence, or both.⁸ Nuclear cataracts tend to progress slowly and affect distance vision more than near vision. In advanced cases, the lens becomes brown and opaque. 

Cortical cataracts can be central or peripheral and sometimes are best appreciated by retroillumination or retinoscopy. Patients with this type of cataract commonly complain of glare. When the entire cortex becomes white and opaque, the cataract is referred to as a mature cortical cataract. 

Posterior subcapsular (PSC) cataracts can cause significant visual impairment if they affect the axial region of the lens. Posterior subcapsular cataracts are found more often in younger patients than are nuclear or cortical cataracts. Patients often have glare and poor vision with bright lighting, and their near vision is typically more affected than distance vision. Two population-based studies found that of the three types, PSC cataracts are associated with the greatest rate of cataract surgery.^9,10 In an older population (mean age 79 years) undergoing cataract surgery, however, nuclear cataracts were most frequently encountered.¹¹

Studies have found racial differences in the prevalence of different cataract types. In the Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study, Americans of African descent had a four times greater chance of having cortical opacities than Americans of European descent, and Americans of European descent were more likely to have nuclear and PSC opacities.¹² The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study of individuals 40 years old or older found that cortical opacities were the most frequent type of lens opacity.¹³