Anterior Segment
Cataract (Age-Related)
Also known as: cataract, age-related cataract, nuclear sclerosis, nuclear sclerotic cataract, cortical cataract, posterior subcapsular cataract, PSC, lens opacity
Filed as: Routine
Clinical decision support only
Overview
Progressive opacification of the crystalline lens and the most common cause of reversible vision impairment in older adults. Referral timing is driven by functional impact — glare, driving standards, reading, and patient goals — not by a fixed acuity threshold. The key clinical task is confirming the lens actually explains the vision, and optimising the ocular surface and refraction before surgical referral.
What OptoGuide™ covers for cataract (age-related)
- Recognition patterns: symptoms, signs, and differentiators
- Don't-miss risks and escalation triggers
- Management tiers with linked Australian therapeutics
- Referral urgency, specialty, and letter drafting
Sources
Standard texts: Kanski's Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systematic Approach, The Wills Eye Manual, Oxford Handbook of Ophthalmology, Oxford American Handbook of Ophthalmology, Signs in Ophthalmology: Causes & Differential Diagnosis.