Ocular axial growth in pseudophakic eyes of patients operated for monocular infantile cataract: a comparison of operated and fellow eyes measured at surgery and 5 or more years later.
To report the change in axial length (AL) over time and to compare the percentage of AL growth of pseudophakic eyes operated on for monocular cataract to that of the unoperated fellow eyes.



The medical records of children operated on by a single surgeon for monocular congenital cataract before 7 months of age were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were corneal diameter of ≥9 mm and availability of AL data for >5 years' follow-up after cataract surgery and >1 year after IOL implantation (in case of secondary IOL). Cataract with persistent fetal vasculature causing stretching of the ciliary processes, diagnosis of glaucoma or glaucoma suspect, and eyes with aphakia were excluded. Globe AL was measured by immersion ultrasound at surgery and 5 or more years later.



A total of 24 children were identified. Average age at cataract surgery was 2.6 ± 2.1 months. Age at last follow-up was 8.4 ± 2.8 years and duration of follow-up was 8.2 ± 2.8 years. 13 eyes received a primary IOL and 11 eyes received a secondary IOL. AL was significantly different between operative and fellow eyes, preoperatively (18.1 mm vs 18.7 mm, P = 0.004), and at the final follow-up (22.2 mm vs 23.0 mm, P = 0.03). Differences in AL growth of operated and fellow eyes were not significant (4.1 mm vs 4.4 mm, P = 0.4). Similarly, percentage of AL growth of operated and fellow eyes was also not significantly different (23% vs 23.6%, P = 0.7).



Eyes operated for monocular cataract have similar axial growth to that of fellow unoperated eyes, despite having a shorter AL at the time of surgery.
Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Dina
D
Tadros
Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
Rupal H
RH
Trivedi
Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. Electronic address: wilsonme@musc.edu.
M Edward
ME
Wilson
Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
Jennifer D
JD
Davidson
D001036:Aphakia, Postcataract / Q000601:surgery; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology