Pediatric Traumatic Cataracts : 10 Year-experience of a Tertiary Referral Center 

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the factors influencing final visual acuity in pediatric traumatic cataracts. Methods: Data of patients who presented with traumatic cataracts were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated sex; age at trauma; trauma type, cause, and zone; duration between the time of trauma and cataract surgery; surgical method used; time, location, and type of intraocular lens (IOL) implantation; initial and final corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA); amblyopia rate and complications. Results: In all, 61 eyes of 59 patients with cataracts after trauma, under 16 years of age, were included. The mean age of the children was 7.2 ± 3.9 years. Primary IOL implantation was performed in 70.9% of eyes. The CDVA was 0.7 LogMAR or better in 16.3% of the 49 eyes where the visual acuity could be measured at the time of trauma and in 69.1% of 55 eyes in which it could be measured after treatment. The evaluation of factors potentially influencing the final visual acuity revealed that eyes that had undergone posterior capsulotomy (PC) and anterior vitrectomy (AV) during cataract surgery had significantly better final vision compared to eyes that did not undergo these procedures. Conclusion: Good visual results can be obtained in children with traumatic cataracts using PC and AV together with lens aspiration and IOL implantation, followed by effective amblyopia treatment and close monitoring.