Aqueous humor provides the necessary nutrition for the lens and transports the metabolites in the eye. It was a liquid that can directly reflect the microenvironment in the eye, and it can be easily obtained during the operation. This review intended to analyze the components of aqueous humor in patients with different types of cataracts, so as to reflect the pathogenesis and development of the disease, evaluate the incidence of postoperative complications and provide reference value for the surgical design of sequential cataract surgery. The aqueous humor components of different types of cataracts showed different degrees of inflammation, oxidative stress and extracellular matrix remodeling. The biomarker of early neuropathy in diabetic cataract was neural cell adhesion molecule-1(NCAM1). Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)was the evaluation factor of disease development in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. The relationships between postoperative complications of different types of cataracts and aqueous humor components were as follows: Macular edema after diabetic cataract surgery was associated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha; capsular contraction after high myopic cataract surgery was related to monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1)and TGF-β2; Klotho and glutathione S-transferase P 1(GSTP1)were associated with high intraocular pressure after primary open-angle glaucoma complicated by cataract surgery; capsular contraction after retinitis pigmentosa complicated by cataract surgery was associated with matrix metalloproteinases; pro-inflammatory cytokines and fibroblast growth factor 4 in the aqueous humor of congenital cataracts were associated with posterior capsular opacification after surgery. Granulocyte colony stimulating factor 3 and MCP-1 were the main cytokines mediating the pain of the second eye in the binocular sequential cataract surgery short interval(1 wk), while MCP-1 mediated pain in the long interval(6 wk). The second eye after binocular sequential cataract surgery had a higher level of proinflammatory factors. The components of aqueous humor in patients with different types of cataracts were related to the pathogenesis and postoperative complications of the disease. Monitoring the components of the aqueous humor could help better understand the intraocular microenvironment of different types of cataracts and provide a reference for predicting the development of the disease and implementing relevant targeted therapy.