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Little vision improvement using posterior chamber IOLs for congenital cataract
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Implanting a posterior chamber IOL to treat congenital cataracts in infants less than 1 year old is safe, but produces unsatisfactory final acuities, according to British researchers.
Pieter Gouws, MD, and colleagues at Bristol Eye Hospital retrospectively reviewed their results treating 8 infants with unilateral cataract and 10 with bilateral cataract. These children had an average age of 15 weeks and were followed for over 7 years on average.
Researchers found infants treated bilaterally had the best visual outcomes, with 50% achieving 6/18 or better and a best acuity of 6/9. Worse outcomes were seen in unilaterally treated infants, where 38% achieved 6/60 or better and the best acuity was 6/24, according to the study.
A mean refractive shift of –3.44 D occurred between the first postoperative refraction and refraction at 36 months, with a “very wide range” of +2 to –15.5. Unilateral cases showed a significantly greater myopic shift, the authors noted.
Amblyopia and posterior capsular opacification were the main complications, and unilateral patients in particular developed amblyopia.
The study was published in the August issue of the British Journal of Ophthalmology.