Surgical Outcome of Congenital Cataract in Eyes With Microcornea

To report the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of congenital cataract surgery in eyes with microcornea.

In this retrospective, interventional, comparative case series, the authors reviewed 47 eyes of 26 children with microcornea and congenital cataract (21 bilateral and 5 unilateral) who underwent lens aspiration with primary posterior capsulectomy and anterior vitrectomy between 2008 and 2014 with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months. Demographic profiles and systemic and ocular features were documented. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were studied separately for bilateral and unilateral cases. Patients were also divided into two groups on the basis of their ages at surgery (early surgery group: 3 months or younger; late surgery group: older than 3 months) and postoperative complications were compared. Visual outcome was analyzed in those with a follow-up period of more than 1 year.

Early surgery was performed in 24 eyes of 13 patients (11 bilateral and 2 unilateral) and late surgery in 23 eyes of 13 patients (10 bilateral and 3 unilateral). Intraoperatively, all eyes had poor pupillary dilatation and 6 (12.8%) eyes needed iris hooks. Postoperatively, the most common early complication was transient corneal edema observed in 22 (46.8%) eyes (13 and 8 eyes in the early and late surgery groups, respectively). Late complications included visual axis opacification in 6 (12.76%) eyes (3 in each group), and secondary glaucoma in 5 (10.64%) eyes (2 and 3 eyes in the early and late surgery groups, respectively). Vision was normal for age in 18 (60%) of the bilateral cases with a follow-up period of more than 1 year.

Early surgical intervention for congenital cataract in eyes with microcornea can result in favorable outcomes with an acceptable rate of postoperative complications. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2018;55(1):30-36.].