Treatment and Prognosis of Cataract in Children

Kim, Hee Young; Lee, Yong Jae; Yu, Young Suk

Abstract

Cataract in children is difficult to treat and may result in a permanent visual loss. Recently, advances of microsurgical techniques reduced the rate of postoperative complications and permanent visual loss. To know the results of treatment and the prognosis of cataract surgery in children, we retrospectively analyzed the hospital records according to the pre- and postoperative clinical factors and the surgical techniques in 266 eyes of 186 children who underwent cataract surgery with follow up of at least 3 months. The most common cause of cataract in children was congenital followed by persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous(PHPV) and traumatic. Surgery was performed the earliest in PHPV. Eyes with complicated cataract showed better final visual acuity compared with congenital cataract. Final visual acuity of 0.5 or more was disclosed in 16.2% of congenital cataract, and was better in bilateral than in unilateral case. In bilateral cataract, the shorter the interval between surgeries in both eyes, the better was the final visual acuity achieved. The most common postoperative complication was posterior capsular opacity and this developed more often in irrigation and aspiration(I&A) group compared with I&A, posterior capsulectomy and anterior vitrectomy group. These results show us that a good visual outcome and relatively few postoperative complications can be found in cataract surgery in children, and the prognosis depends, however, on the cause of cataract, the time of surgery, surgical technique, interval between surgeries in both eyes and postoperative complications.