Medical Management of Children With Congenital/Infantile Cataract Associated With Microphthalmia, Microcornea, or Persistent Fetal Vasculature.

PURPOSE: To report the surgical outcomes of children with cataract associated with microphthalmia, microcornea, or persistent fetal vasculature (MMP) and children with isolated cataract.

METHODS: The study included 111 children (cataract associated with MMP: n = 25) who underwent cataract surgery at younger than 16 years. Exclusion criteria were duration of follow-up less than 5 years, intraindividual differences in age at surgery, eye disorders other than MMP, secondary cataract, and syndromal diseases. Main outcome measures were proportion of eyes with glaucoma and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Both groups were dichotomized by age at surgery (early intervention group: ≤ 48 days). Descriptive analysis was performed throughout.

RESULTS: Median age at surgery was 3.9 months for cataract associated with MMP and 23.3 months for isolated cataract. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) duration of follow-up was 95.9 months (range: 76.0 to 154.5 months). In children with bilateral cataract associated with MMP, the proportion of eyes with final BCVA worse than 0.3 logMAR was similar regardless of age at surgery (early intervention: 80%, later intervention: 78%). In bilateral isolated cataract, the proportions were 56% and 33%, respectively. Children with cataract associated with MMP had a high prevalence of glaucoma (28%). Glaucoma prevalence was lower in the later intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of MMP, early cataract surgery is associated with a high risk of post-lensectomy glaucoma, but does not offer the benefit of better visual outcomes. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2019;56(1):43-49.].