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Glaucoma may develop in infants after IOL implantation
Arch Ophthalmol. 2011;doi:10.1001/archophthalmol.2011.347.
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Glaucoma was more likely to develop in infant eyes that underwent primary IOL implantation than in those that underwent cataract removal without IOL implantation, a study found.
"Modern surgical techniques do not eliminate the early development of glaucoma following congenital cataract surgery with or without an intraocular lens implant," the study authors wrote.
The multicenter, randomized, controlled Infant Aphakia Treatment Study assigned 114 infants with a unilateral congenital cataract to undergo cataract surgery either with or without IOL implantation.
Glaucoma developed in 12% of study participants assigned to IOL implantation and 5% of those who underwent lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy without IOL implantation. Glaucoma suspects were found at a rate of 4% in both cohorts.
After 1 year of follow-up, glaucoma-related adverse events were found in 16% of study participants who underwent IOL implantation and 9% of those who did not, according to the study.
The rate of developing a glaucoma-related adverse event was 3.1 times higher for infants with persistent fetal vasculature and 1.6 times higher for each month of age younger at time of surgery.
"Vigilance for the early development of glaucoma is needed following congenital cataract surgery, especially when surgery is performed during early infancy or for a child with persistent fetal vasculature," the researchers wrote.