title: Axial eye length growth and final refractive outcome after unilateral paediatric cataract surgery.
abstract: AIM To compare the axial eye length growth of the two fellow eyes within one patient after unilateral paediatric cataract surgery and to assess changes in refraction and keratometry. PATIENTS/METHODS A retrospective study in 90 eyes of 45 patients was performed. The 45 patients were divided into group 1 (patients younger than 18 months at the time of surgery, n=25) and group 2 (patients 18 months or older at the time of surgery, n=20). The axial eye length, spherical equivalent refraction and keratometry were measured during surgery and at follow-up. All outcome data in the operated eyes were compared with the outcome data of the fellow non-operated eyes. The Student t test was used for statistical analysis. Values of p<0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS In group 1 the absolute growth (mm) of the operated eyes was borderline statistically significantly less than in the fellow non-operated eyes (p=0.049). No statistically significant difference in the rate of axial growth between the two eyes was found (p=0.25). A larger myopic shift (p=3.85x10(-5)) and a larger change in keratometry (p=0.02) were found in the operated eyes. In group 2 no statistically significant differences were found between the two eyes. CONCLUSION We did not find a statistically significant difference in axial length growth between the operated eyes and fellow non-operated eyes in our unilateral paediatric cataract patients.
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Centre, Department of Ophthalmology, Room D2-129, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands. m.l.sminia@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Marije L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sminia
authors.forename: Jan T H N
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: de Faber
authors.forename: Denise J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Doelwijt
authors.forename: René J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wubbels
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tjon-Fo-Sang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D009216:Myopia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies