title: Congenital cataract etiology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose is to study the aetiologies of congenital cataracts, and to establish an approach to decision making of etiological diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 85 children in a cross sectional study. The mean age was 4.5 years. These patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic and paediatric examination, and etiological investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An aetiology of congenital cataracts was found in 62.5% of cases. Hereditary was the most common cause, it constituted 42.3% of etiologies. Among these cases 77.7% were autosomal recessive. 16.4% of congenital cataracts were associated with general diseases or dysmorphology syndromes. Metabolic diseases and intrauterine infections were found in 7 % and 4.7% of cases respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heredity remains the most common etiology of congenital cataracts.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Service of Internal Security Forces Hospital, Marsa, Tunis.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: El Fkih
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hmaied
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Hif
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moalla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marakchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tabib
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Azzouz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000150:complications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000150:complications