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Surgical, medical and developmental outcomes in patients with Down syndrome and cataracts
Stephanie L Santoro1,2, Dema Atoum3, Robert B Hufnagel4
1Nationwide Children's Hospital Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Insights
Children with Down syndrome (DS) undergoing cataract surgery face risks of complications. While surgery didn't correlate with developmental quotients, DS patients needing surgery had lower quotients than controls.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Genetics
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have a higher incidence of congenital cataracts.
- Limited data exists on surgical, medical, and developmental outcomes for DS patients with cataracts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe surgical, medical, and developmental outcomes in children with Down syndrome and congenital cataracts.
- To compare developmental quotients between children with DS and cataracts requiring surgery and those with DS but without cataracts.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical charts from 1988-2013 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
- Case series of five DS patients with cataracts, compared to 47 DS patients without cataracts as a developmental control group.
- Independent-sample t-test used to compare developmental quotients.
Main Results:
- Post-operative complication rates after cataract surgery ranged from 20% to 60%.
- No significant association found between complication rates and visual outcomes.
- Developmental quotients were lower in DS children with cataracts requiring surgery compared to DS children without cataracts.
Conclusions:
- Surgical intervention for congenital cataracts in children with Down syndrome carries a risk of post-operative complications.
- Further research is necessary to establish links between surgical complications and visual or developmental outcomes in this population.
Background:
Individuals with Down syndrome have an increased risk for congenital cataracts, but descriptions of surgical, medical and developmental outcomes are sparse.
Materials And Methods:
Retrospective review of medical charts of patients with Down syndrome with visits to Cincinnati Children's Hospital from 1988 to 2013 was performed. A case series of five patients with Down syndrome and cataracts is presented. A total of 47 patients with Down syndrome without cataracts were used as a developmental control. Developmental quotients were compared using an independent-sample, unequal variance t-test.
Results:
Post-operative cataract complication rates ranged from 20% to 60%. Visual outcomes were varied; significant associations between complication rate and visual outcome were not found. Developmental quotients did not show an association with number of complications, but were lower for children with Down syndrome with cataracts requiring surgery compared to children with Down syndrome without cataracts.
Conclusion:
In children with Down syndrome and congenital cataract, surgical intervention has risk for post-operative complications. Further investigation is needed to determine if there is an association between surgical complications and visual or developmental outcomes.
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