Results of late surgery for presumed congenital cataracts

We reviewed the results of cataract extraction and visual rehabilitation in 76 eyes of 47 infants and children with presumed congenital cataracts who were first seen after they were 10 months old. Eighteen patients underwent surgery for unilateral cataracts, including five patients with persistent hyperplastic vitreous, five with posterior lenticonus, one with a nuclear cataract, six with posterior subcapsular cataracts, and one with a lamellar cataract. Of these 18 patients, seven (39%) attained a visual acuity of 20/60 or better, one (6%) had a visual acuity of 20/100, and ten (60%) had a visual acuity of 20/200 or worse. Twenty-nine patients (62 eyes) underwent bilateral cataract extraction. The visual acuity could be measured in 22 patients (44 eyes). Visual acuity improved to 20/60 or better in 32 eyes (73%), was between 20/70 and 20/150 in 11 eyes (25%), and became worse than 20/200 in one eye (2%). Results were good in patients with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, posterior lenticonus, and bilateral cataracts.