title: Congenital and developmental cataract: axial length and keratometry study in Brazilian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ocular axial length (AL) and keratometry (K) in Brazilian children with congenital/developmental cataract, assess the differences and evolution of AL and K according to age, and establish functional models of AL and K as function of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with congenital/developmental cataract aged 1.5 months old to 8 years old and no other ocular diseases were included. All eyes with unilateral cataract, the left eyes from children with bilateral cataracts, and healthy eyes from children with unilateral cataract were analyzed. After the administration of anesthesia, K was measured with a portable automatic keratometer, and AL was measured with a contact biometer. Cataract surgery was performed immediately after the measurements were taken. The data were statistically analyzed, and a linear regression with an age logarithm was used to model the relationship.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four eyes with cataract were included in this analysis, comprising 15 eyes with unilateral cataract and 29 left eyes from children with bilateral cataracts. The mean age was 27.3 months with a mean AL of 20.63 ± 2.11 mm and a mean K of 44.94 ± 2.44 D. The K value was significantly steeper and the AL value was significantly shorter in younger children (P< 0.001). No significant differences were found neither between eyes with unilateral and bilateral cataracts nor between eyes with unilateral cataract and their corresponding healthy eyes (P >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The values of K and AL significantly change with age, especially during the first 6 months of life. A linear functional relationship between K and AL with the logarithm of age and between K and AL was established.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Botucatu Medical School, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors: Rodrigo Bueno do
authors: RB
authors: Prado
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Botucatu Medical School, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors: Virgílio Figueiredo
authors: VF
authors: Silva
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Botucatu Medical School, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors: Silvana Artioli
authors: SA
authors: Schellini
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Botucatu Medical School, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors: Antonio Carlos Lottelli
authors: AC
authors: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D001699:Biometry / Q000379:methods; D001938:Brazil; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies