Clinical analysis of the occurrence of secondary glaucoma after pediatric congenital cataract surgery in the first 36 months of life

Abstract

To observe the rate of secondary glaucoma after pediatric congenital cataract surgery in the first 36 months of life. Retrospective case series. The records of children who underwent surgery for congenital cataract within the first 36 months of life between July 1995 and July 2005 at Qingdao Eye Hospital were reviewed. Children with preoperative conditions associated with glaucoma were excluded. Age at surgery, unilateral or bilateral cataract, type of congenital cataract, primary intraocular lens (IOL) insertion, duration of follow-up, postoperative best corrected visual acuity, development of aphakic glaucoma, and development of glaucoma after secondary IOL implantation were evaluated. A total of 115 patients (204 eyes) with an average surgery age of (12.5 ± 9.2) months were included; the mean follow-up time was (83.7 ± 43.8) months. 15 eyes (11 patients) (7.4%) had subsequent development of glaucoma, 7 of which (4 patients) developed late-onset open-angle glaucoma. Of the 15 eyes, 13 eyes had surgery within 9 months, and 12 eyes developed nuclear or total cataract. None of the primarily pseudophakia eyes developed glaucoma in our study. Of 86 eyes that received implantation of secondary intraocular lens in the ciliary sulcus, 13 eyes (15.1%) developed pseudophakia glaucoma. Secondary glaucoma occurred after pediatric bilateral cataract surgery. As late-onset glaucoma usually occurred several years after primary surgery, long-time follow-up after pediatric cataract surgery needs to be emphasized.