title: Macular structural characteristics in children with congenital and developmental cataracts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate macular structural characteristics in children with congenital or developmental cataracts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children 5-16 years of age with a history of surgery for congenital or acquired cataract were enrolled. Eligible patients had visual acuity of 20/400 or better and ≥37 weeks gestational age at birth. Patients were divided into two groups: unilateral (n = 22) and bilateral (n = 19). Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) was used to image the retinal structure. Retinal volume scans centered on the fovea were obtained. Using the instrument's segmentation software, central subfield thickness (CST) and the thickness of the inner and outer retinal layer regions were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the unilateral group, 1 child with persistent fetal vasculature had unidentifiable retinal structure and was excluded. Most unilateral eyes (20/21) had a CST within the normal range. However, the CST, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal sectors were all significantly thicker in the cataractous eye compared to the noncataractous eye (all P < 0.01 [paired t test]). The interocular difference for CST was not associated with age at surgery or interocular difference for visual acuity. In the bilateral group, although 34 of 38 eyes were within the normal range, the average CST of this group was significantly thicker than the noncataractous eye in the unilateral group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Following cataract extraction during infancy or childhood, most cataractous eyes had normal macular structure. Cataractous eyes of both unilaterally and bilaterally affected children have thicker CST values compared to the noncataractous eye.
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. Electronic address: jingyun.wang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jingyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Dana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Donaldson
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Gavin J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Derek T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Sprunger
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.affiliation: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Plager
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital* / Q000235:genetics*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D042262:Retinoscopy; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology