Central Corneal Thickness in Childhood Cataract

We explored elevated central corneal thickness (CCT) in children with cataracts as possibly reflecting preexisting corneal malformation related to specific cataract morphology.

All children consecutively seen during the study periods who had cataracts and corneal pachymetry as part of their routine care were enrolled at academic centers in large cities of Canada and the United States. Study data collected included age, sex, CCT, and cataract morphology. Differences among cataract morphology groups with respect to mean CCT measurements were evaluated and compared with a historical control thickness of 558 μm.

A total of 96 children were enrolled in this study. The average subject age was 5.1 years, and 55 children (57%) were female. The mean CCT value for all subjects was 566.1 μm. There was little evidence to conclude that the cataract morphology groups differed from each other (P = 0.65) or from controls with respect to CCT.

In children, CCT is likely independent of cataract morphology. This implies that factors other than preoperative malformation are more likely related to elevated CCT observed in children with aphakia and pseudophakia.