title: Longitudinal change in aphakic refraction after early surgery for congenital cataract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the longitudinal changes of refraction in aphakic eyes after early surgery for congenital cataract and to evaluate longitudinally measured aphakic refraction (individual vs group mean) as a noninvasive indicator of postoperative disturbances in ocular development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of children who had cataract surgery during their first year of life between 1980 and 1995 were obtained from a prospective, population-based study of congenital cataract. Only children with regular follow-up were included. Postoperative aphakic refraction was calculated at the corneal plane. Data were obtained up to 36 months of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 28 children (49 eyes) who underwent surgery at a median age of 2.8 months (range, 0-9 months). The decrease of aphakic refraction at the corneal plane followed a logarithmic trend (R(2) = 0.95). A total of 36 eyes followed this pattern, with no growth in 8 eyes and an increased growth rate in 1 eye with uncontrolled glaucoma and 4 eyes of 2 children with Down syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most aphakic eyes follow a predictable, logarithmic change in refraction in the first 3 years of life, Longitudinal monitoring of refraction may prove to be a useful, noninvasive screening method for early detection of disturbances in aphakic eye growth.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden. alf.nystrom@oft.gu.se
authors.forename: Alf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nyström
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lundqvist
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sjöstrand
mesh_terms: D001036:Aphakia, Postcataract / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000379:methods; D015349:Vision, Monocular