Duration of form deprivation and visual outcome in infants with bilateral congenital cataracts.
OBJECTIVE
To determine optimal timing for operating on dense bilateral congenital cataracts and to define latent periods for binocular visual deprivation.


METHODS
A retrospective review of the records of children that had undergone bilateral lensectomies at our center. Infants with bilateral, dense, visually significant cataracts who had undergone lensectomy within the first year of life from 1992 to 2000 were identified. Children with other ocular anomalies, neurological and systemic disorders, intraocular lenses, or with fewer than 5 years of follow-up were excluded.


RESULTS
A total of 13 children were identified. The mean age at surgery was 8.7 weeks (range, 3-20; SD 5.3). The mean interval between surgeries of the 2 eyes was 3.8 days (range 0-7; SD 3.2). The median final visual acuity at 5 years of age was 6/18 (range, 6/5-6/36). There was a moderate correlation between (log) visual outcome and time to surgery (r = -0.59, p = 0.002, r(2) = 0.35).


CONCLUSIONS
Visual acuity after surgery for bilateral congenital cataracts appears to decline exponentially with duration of visual deprivation.
The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom. saurabh.jain@royalfree.nhs.uk
Saurabh
S
Jain
Jane
J
Ashworth
Susmito
S
Biswas
I Chris
IC
Lloyd
D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D003423:Critical Period, Psychological; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology