Suitability of slit lamp retroillumination photographs for classifying cataracts according to 'Lens Opacities Classification System II (LOCS II)'

The Lens Opacities Classification System II (LOCS II) utilizes photographic standards (two retroilluminated Neitz-CTR and one standard slit lamp Zeiss photographs) for the classification of cortical and posterior subcapsular cataracts, nuclear color and nuclear opalescence. However, dedicated photographic devices, particularly retroillumination cameras, are not always available and this study was aimed at evaluating the suitability of a retroillumination photographic technique with a standard slit lamp camera for cortical and posterior subcapsular cataract classification according to LOCS II. Two observers examined 273 eyes. Kappa statistics demonstrated that agreement between the standard slit lamp, clinical grading (according to published LOCS II methodology) and photographic grading (according to our photographic technique), as well as inter- and intraobserver reproducibility, were excellent (Kappa > 0.74) for the classification of all lenticular regions. The results indicate that a standard slit lamp camera can be as useful as a dedicated retroillumination camera when LOCS II standards are used for cataract classification.