Clinical Review & Education

Ophthalmic Images

Rosette-Shaped Cataract Due to Lightning Injury

Nandini Venkateswaran, MD; Anat Galor, MD, MSPH

Figure. Slitlamp photograph showing a rosette-shaped central cataract in the

right eye that occurred several years after a lightning injury.

A 57-year-old woman presented with photopsias and floaters in her
right eye. A rosette-shaped cataract was seen in her right eye
(Figure), and her left eye showed a clear lens. A posterior vitreous
detachment was noted in the right eye, but there were no retinal
tears or detachments. There were no signs of prior ocular trauma.
The patient had been struck by lightning as a child. Lightning
injuries are rare; however, they can have ocular sequelae, most
frequently cataract formation. Cataracts can occur from mechani-
cal damage, decreased permeability of the lens capsule, protein co-
agulation, or nutritional alterations of the lens. Opacification of the
lens cortex or capsule can result in stellate-shaped or rosette-
shaped cataracts.1 Bilateral cataracts are more common; however,
unilateral cases have been reported1 and are typically observed on
the side of the body hit by the lightning currents.

ARTICLE INFORMATION
Author Affiliations: Department of
Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute,
University of Miami, Miami, Florida
(Venkateswaran, Galor); Department of
Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Administration
Medical Center, Miami, Florida (Galor).
Corresponding Author: Anat Galor, MD, MSPH,
Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye
Institute, University of Miami, 900 NW 17th St,
Miami, FL 33136 (agalor@med.miami.edu).
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Both authors
have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and
none were reported.
Additional Contributions: We thank the patient for
granting permission to publish this information.
REFERENCE
1. Norman ME, Albertson D, Younge BR.
Ophthalmic manifestations of lightning strike. Surv
Ophthalmol. 2001;46(1):19-24.

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