title: Glaucoma after pediatric cataract surgery in a population with limited access to care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cataract is a leading cause of childhood blindness in eastern Africa and other resource-constrained regions around the world, and high-quality surgical centers are increasingly responding to this challenge. Despite evidence concerning the ongoing risk of postoperative glaucoma after lensectomy, little is known of the incidence of glaucoma after pediatric cataract surgery in Africa. We sought to evaluate the frequency and predictors of postoperative glaucoma in this setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of all children who underwent surgery for congenital or developmental cataract between 2003 and 2005 at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre were retrospectively reviewed to determine the incidence of postoperative glaucoma. Potential risk factors were evaluated by means of logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cumulative incidence of glaucoma at 3 years was 6.5% (95% CI, 2.5-16.0), and the annual incidence rate was 2.0 cases per 100 operated eyes (95% confidence interval, 0.74-4.37). Total time of follow-up and absence of primary intraocular lens implantation correlated with risk for postoperative glaucoma, but multivariate analysis could not confirm independent associations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As cataract surgical rates continue to increase and pediatric ophthalmology centers in Africa progress toward the goals of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight, renewed efforts must be directed toward the long-term postoperative care of all children undergoing operation for pediatric cataract.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. craigbaden@gmail.com
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baden
authors.forename: Fortunate
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shija
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lewallen
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courtright
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology