title: Changes of corneal central thickness of aphakia following congenital cataract surgery under the first six months of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the central corneal thickness (CCT) changes in infants and young children who had been undergone bilateral congenital cataract surgery, and to compare the changes with normal control group which was selected from healthy population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross section case-control study contained 28 cases (56 eyes) of bilateral aphakia (aphakic group) due to congenital cataract surgery combining with posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and with anterior vitrectomy during 2-6 months after birth. Fourteen children (28 eyes) of age-sex matched with the aphalic group were selected as normal control group. CCT and intraocular pressure (IOP) were measured postoperatively and the results were compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean CCT was 653.5±82.4μm in the aphakic group and 579.6±39.2μm in the control group, with a significant difference (P=0.000). The mean value of IOP in aphakic group (22.0±1.6mmHg) was greater than that of control group (16.9±2.1mmHg), P=0.023. There was a negative correlation between age and CCT in normal control group (r=-0.531, P=0.026), and there was no correlation in bilateral aphakia group (r=-0.324, P=0.165)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aphakic children due to congenital cataract surgery have a greater CCT than normal children. It is necessary to consider CCT in evaluating IOP for children after congenital cataract surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiao-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jia-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sun