Outcomes of Scleral-fixated Intraocular-lens in Children with Idiopathic Ectopia Lentis

The purpose of the study was to review the safety and stability of scleral-fixated intraocular lens (IOL) 2 years after implantation in children with idiopathic ectopia lentis (EL).

This retrospective case series enrolled children with EL managed between 2011 and 2015 at a tertiary eye hospital in the eastern of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected on age, gender, vision, isolated or syndromic pathology, intraoperative and postoperative complications, spherical equivalent refraction, and final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

The series included 18 eyes of 11 children with EL (6 males and 5 females). There were 7 bilateral and 4 unilateral cases. The median age was 3.5 years (25% quartile 1 year; range: 1-8 years). Preoperatively, fixation was absent in 3 eyes, 8 eyes were fixating but vision could not be recorded. In the remaining seven eyes, median distant visual acuity was 0.1 (25% quartile: 0.08). The median postoperative follow-up was 24 months (25% quartile, 7 months). Complications included two eyes with iris capture and one eye with lens subluxation requiring re-implantation. Postoperative BCVA was better than 20/60 in 15 (83%) eyes. At last follow-up, 6 eyes required myopic correction, 1 eye was emmetropic, and 11 eyes were hypermetropic. One eye with glaucoma was managed medically.

Scleral fixated IOL in eyes of young children with EL had good visual outcomes and high stability. However, there is a high incidence of residual refractive error.