Clinical and Epidemiological Aspects of Traumatic Cataracts in Children at CHU Campus of Lome

Abstract

Introduction: Traumatic cataracts are the leading cause of unilateral cataracts, with a risk of amblyopia in young children. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical aspects of traumatic cataracts in children at CHU Campus of Lome. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study conducted using records of children with cataract due to blunt or penetrating trauma who were admitted to the ophthalmology department at CHU Campus from January 2015 to December 2020 (6 years). Results: Eighty over the 7,800 children examined had traumatic cataracts. The mean age was 7.70 ± 3.64 years [1.1 years; 15 years]. Patients aged 5 to 10 years were the most represented with 47.50% of cases. The predominance was male, with a sex ratio of 1.5. Play was the main cause of ocular trauma in 32.50% of cases. The most common vulnerating agent was wood in 29.48% of cases, followed by a punch in 26.93%. Trauma was blunt in 57.50% of cases and penetrating in 42.50%. Anatomically, total cataract was the most common type in 70.59% of children, with a low vision on admission ≤ 1/10 in 51.25% of cases. Conclusion: Traumatic cataracts in children are uncommon but serious. Play was the primary circumstance of onset, as well as wood for the vulnerating agent. Cataracts were mostly unilateral and total, with a risk of amblyopia in young children.