Ayurvedic management of posterior polar cataract: a case study

Summary of article contents:

Posterior Polar Cataract is the rare subset of congenital cataracts resulting in defective vision. It follows an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern and is occasionally sporadic due to the high incidence of intraoperative complications, which include posterior capsular rent, nucleus drop, etc. Posterior Polar Cataract is a surgical challenge for ophthalmologists. Ayurveda cataracts can be described in the context of Timira , Kacha and Linganasha. Timira is a disease of the Drishti Mandala , which presents with blurred vision initially, and if left untreated, it will progress to Kacha, which, if neglected, will lead to Linganasha . Linganasha is the last stage, where there is complete vision loss. A 37-yearold female patient complaining of blurred vision for distance and glare at night for two years is presented here. She was diagnosed with Posterior polar cataract one year back. The patient underwent Ayurveda treatment of shodhana and shamana chikitsa after properly assessing Rogi and Roga bala, which includes- Kayavirchana, Shirovirechana, Kriyakalpas (Akshitarpana, Anjana) and Rasayana prayogas . Assessment after the above treatment has shown improvement in the patient's visual acuity. From this study, it can be concluded that Ayurvedic treatment can preserve and give a better quality of vision to the patient of Posterior Polar Cataract, as surgery includes a high risk of capsular rupture and vitreous loss that can lead to worse visual outcomes. Keywords: Posterior polar cataract, Timira, Drishtigata roga, congenital cataract INTERNATIONAL AYURVEDIC MEDICAL JOURNAL Nalini Yadav et al