title: Visual outcomes of bilateral congenital and developmental cataracts in young children in south India and causes of poor outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bilateral pediatric cataracts are important cause of visual impairment in children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the outcome of bilateral pediatric cataract surgery in young children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series in a tertiary center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of pediatric cataracts operated between January 2001 and December 2003, with a minimum follow-up of 3 months, were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Independent sample t-test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science, Chicago, USA) version 12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  215/257 (83.7%) patients had a minimum follow-up of 3 months. The mean age of presentation to the hospital was 53 months (range: 0-168 months). Congenital cataract was present in 107 patients (58.2%) and developmental cataract in 77 patients (41.8%). The mean age at surgery was 55.2 months (range: 1-168 months). Out of 430 eyes, 269 (62.6%) had an intraocular lens implanted. The mean duration of follow-up was 13.1 months (range: 3-38 months). Pre-operatively, 102 patients (47.3%) had visual acuity <6/60, in the better eye, compared to 37 patients (17.2%) post-operatively ( P < 0.001). Eighty-five patients (39.5%) had visual acuity >6/18. The most common early post-operative complication was fibrinous uveitis in 57 eyes (13.3%) and the most common delayed post-operative complication was posterior capsular opacification in 118 eyes (27.4%). The most important prognostic factor for poor outcome was congenital cataract (odds ratio [OR]: 26.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.4-158.5) and total cataract (OR: 4.8; 95% CI, 1.3-17).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly half of the eyes had visual acuity >6/18. The outcome was poorer in congenital cataracts, especially those operated after >1 year of age.
authors: Allen Foster Community Eye Health Research Centre, International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eyecare, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
authors: Rohit C
authors: RC
authors: Khanna
authors: Allen
authors: A
authors: Foster
authors: Sannapaneni
authors: S
authors: Krishnaiah
authors: Manohar K
authors: MK
authors: Mehta
authors: Parikshit M
authors: PM
authors: Gogate
mesh_terms: D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity