Pattern of presentation of pediatric cataract in tribes of hills of Western India: A hospital-based retrospective study at Global Hospital Institute of Ophthalmology, Mount Abu

Abstract

Context: Congenital cataract is a priority of Vision 2020: the right to sight, the global initiative to reduce the world's burden of avoidable blindness because it is an important treatable cause of visual physically challenged in childhood worldwide. Prevention and treatment require information about etiology that is currently unavailable for many regions of the world. From an epidemiologic study, the causative factors of pediatric cataract can be identified. Aims: This study aims to determine causes of childhood cataracts and to identify the preventable factors in tribes of hilly areas of Western India. Settings and Design: The present study is a hospital-based retrospective study. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted after reviewing the details of 165 patients of pediatric cataract aged between 3 months and 15 years who underwent cataract surgery in our institute from April 2011 to March 2014. A team of ophthalmologists and pediatricians attached to the center examined all the patients preoperatively. The type of cataract was determined using slit lamp biomicroscopy or operating microscope. Results: Nontraumatic cataract was 72.1% and traumatic cataract was 27.9%. Nontraumatic cataract includes hereditary (10.1%), rubella (5.0%), secondary (16.8%), and idiopathic (68.1%). In nontraumatic cataract group, 66 patients had bilateral cataract and 53 had unilateral cataract. Traumatic cataract was the most common in the age group of 6–10 years and most common cause of trauma is thorn (23.9%) followed by stone (21.7%), crackers (17.4%), wood stick (13%), finger (4.3%), chemical injury (4.3%), needle (4.3%), wire (2.2%), and others (8.7%). Conclusions: About 5% of nontraumatic bilateral cataracts in hills of Western India are due to rubella. An awareness program for precaution during pregnancy and immunization against rubella is needed to prevent it. School children must be educated for factors causing traumatic cataract and need supervised play in outdoor.