An aphakic patient with spectacle correction typically experiences which distortion?

• A. Pincushion
• B. Barrel
• C. No Distortion
• D. Wavy Edges

Answer: (A)

When a patient is aphakic, correcting with glasses requires a very high plus (convex) lens. This strong positive power causes nonuniform magnification across the visual field: the center is magnified more than the periphery. As a result, straight lines viewed through these lenses tend to bend toward the center, producing a pincushion distortion. Barrel distortion (lines bending outward) would come from different lens types (like some negative lenses), and wavy edges come from other optical imperfections, not the typical aphakic spectacle correction. So the distortion most commonly seen with aphakic spectacles is pincushion.