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Central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure in children undergoing congenital cataract surgery: a prospective,
Graziela Massa Resende1, Alvaro P C Lupinacci, Carlos Eduardo Leite Árieta
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. graziela2002@msn.com.br
Insights
Congenital cataract surgery in children leads to increased central corneal thickness (CCT) and intraocular pressure (IOP). Early surgical intervention, particularly before age one, significantly elevates CCT over three years.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Corneal Science
Background:
- Congenital cataracts require surgical intervention in infants and children.
- Understanding the long-term effects of cataract surgery on ocular biometry is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in central corneal thickness (CCT) and intraocular pressure (IOP) following congenital cataract surgery.
- To identify risk factors, such as age at surgery, influencing these post-operative changes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 37 eyes from 26 children undergoing congenital cataract surgery.
- IOP and CCT measurements were taken pre-operatively and at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months post-operatively.
Main Results:
- Mean CCT and IOP significantly increased by 3 years post-surgery (p=0.003 and p=0.037, respectively).
- Aphakic eyes, operated at a younger age, showed a greater increase in CCT compared to pseudophakic eyes.
- Earlier age at surgery (0-1 year) was strongly correlated with increased CCT change at 3 years (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Congenital cataract surgery is associated with a significant increase in CCT over time.
- The timing of surgery is a critical factor, with earlier intervention leading to more pronounced corneal thickening.
Aim:
To investigate changes in central corneal thickness (CCT) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in children after congenital cataract surgery, as well as risk factors associated with these changes.
Methods:
37 eyes of 26 children with congenital cataract undergoing surgery were prospectively recruited. IOP and CCT measurements were performed before the surgery and 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months after the procedure.
Results:
Among the 37 eyes, 15 became aphakic and 22 pseudophakic. Mean CCT significantly increased from 556.24 ± 44.19 to 585.07 ± 56.45 μm (p=0.003) after 3 years, whereas mean IOP significantly increased from 12.05 ± 2.3 to 13.89 ± 2.96 mm Hg (p=0.037). Aphakic eyes underwent surgery at an early age (15.16 ± 32.02 months) compared with pseudophakic eyes (71.48 ± 53.14 months) (p<0.001). After 3 years, mean CCT change in aphakic eyes (56.10 ± 46.97 μm) was significantly higher than in pseudophakic eyes (12.71 ± 38.41 μm) (p=0.015). Age at the time of surgery was inversely correlated to CCT change (r=-0.34, p=0.04), but not to IOP change (r=-0.18, p=0.27). When surgery was performed between 0 and 1 year of age, mean CCT change at 3 years was 70.11 ± 42.3 μm, compared with 6.27 ± 28.09, -17.0 ± 8.04 and 48.33 ± 34.99 μm when surgeries were performed at 1-5, 5-10 and >10 years old, respectively (p<0.001). IOP change was not correlated to CCT change (r=0.31, p=0.06).
Conclusions:
CCT increases in eyes undergoing congenital cataract surgery, especially when the surgery is performed at an early age.
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