Intractable diplopia after vision restoration in unilateral cataract

Twenty-four patients lost their ability to fuse when their binocular function was disrupted for at least 2 1/2 years by a unilateral traumatic cataract or a unilateral traumatic cataract followed by uncorrected aphakia. Three patients were 6 years old, one was 8 years old, and the remaining 20 patients were aged 10 years or older at the time of the injury. All patients had intractable diplopia when the cataract was removed and the aphakia corrected. Aniseikonia was not the cause of this inability to fuse and the insertion of an intraocular lens provided no relief. The prognosis for the elimination of diplopia, other than by occlusion of one eye, was poor.