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Visual acuity following treatment of bilateral congenital cataracts
1Department of Ophthalmology, Sabbatsbergs Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Insights
Early surgery for dense congenital cataracts in infants significantly improves visual acuity. Treating cataracts before 56 days old leads to near-normal vision, while later treatment results in poor outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Visual Science
Background:
- Dense congenital cataract can impair visual development in infants.
- Early surgical intervention is suggested to improve outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare visual acuity outcomes in children with dense congenital cataract operated on early versus late in life.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of seven infants operated on before 56 days was compared to seven operated on after three months.
- Patients received contact lenses, spectacles with near addition, and occlusion therapy.
- Visual acuity was assessed using preferential looking and Snellen optotypes.
Main Results:
- The early-treated group achieved a final visual acuity of 20/20, indicating near-normal visual development.
- The late-treated group did not achieve visual acuity better than 20/100.
- Early intervention is associated with significantly better visual outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Dense congenital cataract requires treatment within the first three months of life.
- Timely surgical intervention is critical for optimal visual development in affected children.
Abstract:
Several studies have indicated that operation during the first months of life in children with dense congenital cataract improves the final visual acuity. In the current study seven otherwise healthy children operated on before the age of fifty-six days are compared with seven children operated on after the age of three months. The patients were followed by a team consisting of a paediatric ophthalmologist, a contact lens optician and an orthoptist. They were treated with contact lenses, spectacles with near addition and occlusion therapy when needed. Visual acuity was initially tested with preferential looking technique and later with Snellen optotypes. In the early treated group the visual development was almost normal with a final visual acuity of 20/20, while in the late treated group no patient obtained better visual acuity than 20/100. The findings indicate that dense congenital cataract should be treated before the age of three months.