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Biometry characteristics in congenital cataract patients before surgery in a tertiary eye care centre in Nepal
1Sagarmatha Choudhary Eye Hospital, Lahan - 3, Siraha, Nepal.
Insights
Congenital cataract biometry in pediatric patients shows variations in axial length, keratometry, and astigmatism based on age, gender, and laterality. These findings are crucial for guiding treatment and IOL calculations in congenital cataract management.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Biometry
Background:
- Congenital cataracts significantly impact visual development in children.
- Accurate anterior segment biometry is essential for effective surgical planning and intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in pediatric cataract cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the anterior segment biometry characteristics in pediatric patients with congenital cataracts prior to surgical intervention.
- To analyze variations in axial length, keratometry, and corneal astigmatism in relation to age, gender, and laterality.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 451 eyes from 351 pediatric patients (<15 years) who underwent congenital cataract surgery.
- Biometric measurements including keratometry, axial length, and corneal astigmatism were obtained using autorefract-keratometry and A-scan ultrasonography.
Main Results:
- Mean axial length was 21.94 mm; shorter in girls and bilateral cases. Mean keratometry was 44.12 D; higher in girls and bilateral cases.
- Mean corneal astigmatism was 1.49 D; higher in girls and bilateral cases. 25.5% had astigmatism ≥2.0 D, with 'with-the-rule' being most common.
Conclusions:
- Axial length, keratometry, and corneal astigmatism in pediatric congenital cataract patients exhibit significant variations.
- This data provides valuable insights for optimizing surgical decisions, IOL power calculations, and overall management strategies for congenital cataracts in Nepalese children.
Purpose:
To evaluate the anterior segment biometry characteristics in congenital cataract patients before undergoing surgery in a tertiary eye care centre.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the charts of congenital cataract patients aged less than 15 years who had undergone the congenital cataract surgery from Jan-Dec, 2015. 451 eyes of 351 patients were reviewed. The eyes were examined using an autorefract-keratometer, applanation A-scan and parameters like keratometry, axial length, corneal astigmatism were noted.
Results:
The mean age at the surgery was 92.4 ± 4.13 months (range 6 months to 15 years). The ratio of boys to girls was 2.34:1. The mean axial length was 21.94 ± 1.94 mm. Girls had shorter axial length than boys (21.53 mm vs 22.11 mm, p = 0.01). The axial length in the cataractous eyes in bilateral cases was significantly smaller than that in the unilateral cases (21.46 mm vs 22.55 mm, p < 0.0001).The mean keratometry was 44.12 ± 2.6 D. Girls had larger mean keratometry value than boys (44.71 vs 43.88, p = 0.0032). Keratometry values were higher in cataractous eyes in bilateral cases than in the unilateral cases (44.61 D vs 43.51 D, p < 0.0001). The mean corneal astigmatism was 1.49 ± 1.13 D. The prevalence of the corneal astigmatism of 2.0 D or more was 25.5%. The with-the-rule astigmatism was the most frequent type (62.53%). Girls had higher mean astigmatism than boys (p = 0.0122). The mean corneal astigmatism was higher in the cataractous eyes in bilateral cases than in the unilateral cases (p = 0.0094).
Conclusions:
The axial length, mean keratometry and corneal astigmatism in congenital cataract patients varied with age, gender, and laterality. The data on biometry characteristics of Nepalese pediatric patients provided in the present study are of clinical significance and hence greatly enhance the guidelines for treatment decisions, IOL power calculations and management of congenital cataract patients.
