Cataract extraction is the third most commonly performed surgical procedure in the United States.
Congenital cataracts are less common than involutional cataracts in humans, but the difficulty in treatment of children makes cataracts an important cause of amblyopia and blindness in the pediatric age group. There is often a familial tendency for a higher frequency of both congenital and adult cataracts in families, but genetic patterns are poorly defined, except in specific conditions such as human chromosome 13 or 21 trisomy. Inbred strains of mice with genetic homogeneity offer an opportunity for further understanding of the sequence of histopathologic and biochemical changes. Molecular biological techniques have already detected some events that result in cataract development. Specific mutations of the mouse on defined genetic backgrounds provide model systems to study the etiology and development of cataracts in the mammalian lens and offer a potential medium for assessing the effects of treatment modalities.