Curve of loss to follow-up is logarithmic in children undergoing paediatric cataract surgery. Age at surgery and low economic status are the most important factors associated with poor follow-up.

Objective: To describe the demographics, nature of the injury and visual outcomes of pediatric patients presenting with traumatic cataract requiring surgery at the National Center for Maternal and Child Health in Mongolia and to compare the relevant literature on traumatic pediatric cataracts in other countries. Methods: The charts of individuals aged ≤ 18 years who underwent surgery for traumatic cataract over a two-year period at a pediatric hospital were reviewed. The data collected included: demographic information, mode and time of injury, intraocular lens type, surgeries pre-and post-operative best-corrected visual acuity, and surgical complications. Results: Over the 2-year study period, 27 children underwent cataract surgery for traumatic cataract. The mean age was 8.52 ± 4.7 years (range, 1-17 years). The type of primary insult was penetrating injury in over 80% of patients. The mean interval between injury and cataract surgery was 7 ± 6.5months. Pre-cataract surgery no patient had vision better than 20/40; after cataract surgery 36% had 20/50. Conclusion: A better understanding of the causes of eye injuries and the environments in which they occur can provide informed educated strategies for parents, caregivers, and teachers and can possibly reduce time to treatment.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of pediatric cataracts in children undergoing surgery in our tertiary care center in Mongolia. Methods: Patients aged ≤ 18 years who underwent pediatric cataract surgery over a three-year period at our pediatric hospital in Mongolia were included. The data collected included: demographic information, family history, laterality, morphology, etiology, and coexistent ocular and systemic disease, age at diagnosis. Results: Over the 3-year study period, 118 children underwent surgery for pediatric cataracts. Sixty participants (53.4 %) had congenital and 92 (78 %) had bilateral cataracts. The most common etiology of pediatric cataracts was idiopathic (34 cases, 28.8 %). Lamelar cataracts were the most commonly observed pediatric cataract (23.8 %). Microphthalmos/microcornea was the most frequent ocular malformation seen in pediatric cataracts. Conclusions: The most common etiology of congenital cataracts was idiopathic, whereas developmental cataracts were most commonly hereditary. In almost all patients, the main morphology of congenital cataracts was nuclear, and the main morphology of developmental cataracts was lamellar. In congenital and developmental cataracts, the main associated ocular disorder was microphthalmos/ microcornea. The most common associated systemic disorder in developmental cataracts was Type 1 diabetes and in congenital cataracts was Down syndrome.