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Visual outcomes of patients presenting with bilateral infantile cataracts and nystagmus
Charlene Crockett1, Kathryn A Camero2, Lingkun Kong1
1Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.
Insights
Pediatric cataract surgery in patients with nystagmus can lead to good visual outcomes. Preoperative nystagmus did not prevent successful vision improvement in this study group.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Visual Sciences
Background:
- Bilateral infantile cataracts and nystagmus present unique challenges in pediatric eye care.
- Assessing surgical outcomes in this specific patient population is crucial for guiding treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of cataract surgery in children with bilateral infantile cataracts and co-existing nystagmus.
- To determine if preoperative nystagmus impacts visual acuity outcomes after surgery.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case study of thirteen pediatric patients with bilateral cataracts and nystagmus.
- Data collection included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), surgical complications, and nystagmus status.
- Patients were followed for an average of 54.3 months post-surgery.
Main Results:
- Half of the patients achieved a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better in the better-seeing eye.
- Nystagmus resolved or became latent in 50% of the patients by the final visit.
- Most patients were left aphakic, with one receiving intraocular lenses.
Conclusions:
- Cataract surgery can yield favorable visual outcomes in pediatric patients with bilateral cataracts and nystagmus.
- The presence of nystagmus should not deter surgical intervention for visually significant cataracts in children.
Objective:
To evaluate the outcomes of cataract surgery in pediatric patients presenting with bilateral infantile cataracts and nystagmus.
Design:
Retrospective case study.
Participants:
Thirteen pediatric patients who presented between September 2002 and February 2014 at a single tertiary care institution.
Methods:
Patients were included if they presented with bilateral visually significant cataracts and preoperative manifest nystagmus and had no other systemic or ocular condition that could explain the presence of the nystagmus. Data collected included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), etiology of cataracts, associated systemic/ocular conditions, status of strabismus, surgical complications, and presence of nystagmus.
Results:
Mean age at diagnosis of the cataracts was 8.1 ± 10.6 months. Mean age at surgery was 8.4 ± 10.5 months. Average length of follow-up was 54.3 ± 32.6 months. Twelve patients were left aphakic bilaterally; 1 patient received primary intraocular lenses bilaterally. Ten patients were able to perform visual acuity at the most recent visit, with 5 out of 10 having BCVA ≥20/40 in the better-seeing eye. Two patients had no visible nystagmus and 3 patients had latent nystagmus only at the most recent visit.
Conclusions:
The presence of preoperative nystagmus does not preclude good visual outcomes in pediatric patients with cataracts.
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