[Surgical results of uni- and bilateral congenital and traumatic cataract in infancy to adolescence].
OBJECTIVE
In a retrospective study the question to be answered is if and at what time unilateral and/or bilateral congenital cataracts have to undergo surgical treatment and from what age of life lens implantation, also after traumatic cataract, is effective.


METHODS
The inquiry includes 75 patients who were treated by lensectomy at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Zürich, before the end of the 20th year of their life in the period of 1985-1990. Of the test group, 26 patients had congenital cataracts (14 unilateral and 12 bilateral), 30 patients had traumatic cataracts and 19 patients had developmental cataracts of various etiology.


RESULTS
Congenital cataract. Patients with bilateral cataracts had better visual results than those with unilateral cataracts. The amblyopic risk is relatively small. For infants, being children under the age of one year, the test group until 1990 is not large enough to declare a valid test group. Depending on various indications of surgery, in cases with monocular lens opacity a higher visual acuity is reached if surgery is performed between the 5th and the 15th year (acuity 0.4-1.0) versus before the 5th year (acuity 0.4). Cases with a posterior chamber lens implant have better visual results than those without. Cataracta varia (cataract after birth). Unilateral and bilateral surgical procedures are always justified, where possible with an intraocular lens (IOL). Traumatic cataract. Successful results occur, as soon as an IOL can be implanted.


CONCLUSIONS
Unilateral congenital cataracts have to be surgically treated. In individual cases, astonishing results are possible, particularly in cases with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV). The extent and type of the lenticular opacity determines the indication and the timeframe of the surgical procedures. Knowledge about the growth of the eye-ball, experiences to date and the easing of rehabilitation by implantation of a posterior chamber lens, justify its application after the age of 18 months.
Hochstrasser
P
P
Universitäts-Augenklinik Zürich.
Gloor
B
B
D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital* / Q000209:etiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000293:injuries*; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
Operationsresultate ein- und beidseitiger kongenitaler und traumatischer Katarakt vom Säuglings- bis Jugendalter.