Purpose: To evaluate factors that predict the visual prognosis following cataract surgery in patients with Behcet's disease (BD).

Setting: The First Affiliated Hospital ofChongqingMedicalUniversity,Chongqing,China

Design: Retrospective clinical study

Methods: Thirty-six eyes of 27 BD patients with complicated cataract underwent phacoemulsification (Phaco) cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation between September 2008 and March 2011. The data including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), full-field electroretinogram (ERG), intraocular inflammation, extraocular manifestations and complications before and after surgical intervention were analyzed.

Results: Twenty-one male (26 eyes) and 6 female (10 eyes) BD patients with complicated cataract were included. There were no complications after surgery although a mild to moderate anterior chamber reaction was present in all patients. At last visit BCVA was improved in 35 eyes. Twenty-seven eyes (75%) achieved a final BCVA of 0.1 or better. All female patients did not have obvious fundus complications and achieved a final BCVA of 0.25 or better. The common causes for poor visual prognosis were optic atrophy, atrophy of the retina and cystoid macular edema. Eyes with marked ERG a- and b-wave abnormalities showed a significantly worse postoperative BCVA. Seven (10 eyes) out of 8 patients (11 eyes) with a history of erythema nodosum (EN) had a postoperative visual acuity below 0.1.