title: Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Macular Thickness Measurements in Children After Cataract Surgery Compared With Age-Matched Controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thickness in pediatric patients with congenital or developmental cataract after cataract surgery with age-matched controls using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  setting: Institutional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five children (90 eyes) in the age group 4-16 years: subjects with unilateral congenital or developmental cataract (n = 15) and bilateral cataract (n = 15), and age-matched controls with no ocular abnormality (n = 15).
  
  
  METHODS
  Phacoaspiration and intraocular lens implantation was done in children with cataract.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and central macular thickness (CMT) were measured using OCT in normal controls and 3 months postoperatively in children with unilateral and bilateral cataract.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with unilateral cataract had significantly thinner RNFL in affected eyes (85.46 ± 8.16 μm) compared with the fellow eye (93.93 ± 13.12 μm; P = .036). Average RNFLT in the operated eyes of unilateral cataract was significantly less (85.46 ± 8.16 μm) compared to the control group (94.6 ± 12.51 μm; P = .004). Average CMT in unilateral cataract (221 ± 42.05 μm) was significantly less compared to normal control (245 ± 15.87 μm; P = .004). Average RNFLT in bilateral cataract was similar in both eyes but significantly less compared to control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with unilateral cataract showed significant thinning of superior, nasal, and temporal RNFL compared to the fellow eyes as well as age-matched normal eyes on OCT. The central macular thickness was less in deprivational amblyopic eyes than in age-matched normal eyes, but there was no significant difference compared to the fellow nonamblyopic eyes. In bilateral cataract, there was significant thinning of RNFL in superior and nasal quadrants as compared to age-matched normal eyes.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.affiliation: Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Electronic address: drjagatram@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jagat
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Jaspreet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sukhija
authors.affiliation: Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Ramandeep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Amod
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology