Persistent Fetal Vasculature With Elongated Ciliary Processes in Children

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
09:38

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Published on: January 29, 2014

11.3K

Nichelle Warren1, Rupal H Trivedi1, M Edward Wilson1

  • 1Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

American Journal of Ophthalmology
|September 30, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Infants with unilateral persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) and stretched ciliary processes often require multiple surgeries and have poor visual outcomes. Visual axis opacification and glaucoma are common complications following initial surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology
  • Congenital Eye Abnormalities

Background:

  • Unilateral persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) with elongated ciliary processes is a rare congenital eye condition.
  • Outcomes and reoperation rates for this specific PFV subtype were previously understudied and excluded from major trials like the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze preoperative measurements, reoperation rates, and postoperative complications in infants with unilateral anterior PFV and stretched ciliary processes.
  • To provide data on surgical outcomes for this specific, less-studied group of PFV patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective case series design.
  • Inclusion criteria: unilateral cataract surgery before 7 months, anterior PFV with elongated ciliary processes.
  • Exclusion criteria: posterior retinal involvement, less than 6 months follow-up.
  • Surgical procedures included lensectomy, posterior capsulectomy, and vitrectomy.

Main Results:

  • Eleven eyes of 11 infants were analyzed, with a mean age at surgery of 2.4 months and average follow-up of 4.5 years.
  • 91% were initially left aphakic; 27% later received secondary intraocular lenses (IOLs).
  • Complications included visual axis opacification (60% of aphakic patients), glaucoma (18%), strabismus, and pupilloplasty. One eye was enucleated due to neovascular glaucoma and retinal detachment. Final visual acuity >20/200 in 18.2%.

Conclusions:

  • Surgical outcomes for PFV with elongated ciliary processes are generally poor, with limited visual acuity potential.
  • High rates of secondary surgeries are common, with visual axis opacification and glaucoma being significant postoperative concerns.
Abstract

More Related Videos

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking09:47

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking

Published on: July 9, 2016

18.2K
Using Ex Vivo Upright Droplet Cultures of Whole Fetal Organs to Study Developmental Processes during Mouse Organogenesis09:47

Using Ex Vivo Upright Droplet Cultures of Whole Fetal Organs to Study Developmental Processes during Mouse Organogenesis

Published on: October 21, 2015

13.3K

Related Concept Videos

Transcription Elongation Factors02:35

Transcription Elongation Factors

Transcription elongation is a dynamic process that alters depending upon the sequence heterogeneity of the DNA being transcribed. Hence, it is not surprising that the elongation complex's composition also varies along the way while transcribing a gene.
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA...
14.0K
Transcription Elongation Factors02:35

Transcription Elongation Factors

4.8K
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
5.2K
Fetal Circulation01:14

Fetal Circulation

Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta.
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
3.0K
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
302
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
8.2K