PEDIATRIC CATARACTS

We have reviewed articles relevant to the subject of pediatric cataract which appeared in journals listed in Index Medicus from June 1990 to May 1991. In all reports where the posterior capsule was left intact, discission of secondary membranes was nearly always necessary. Antiamblyopia treatment included a variety of patching schedules for the better eye; recurrence of amblyopia despite initial success and prolonged treatment was noted. No method for the correction of aphakia gave satisfactory results unless there was good compliance with the rehabilitation program from the patients or their families. Considering that after cataract extraction the refractive error seemed to stabilize at around 3 years of age and that good results have been obtained with contact lenses, rigid corrective systems (epikeratoplasty, intraocular lens implantation) should be used with caution in infants. Aphakic glaucoma occurring late after cataract extraction was found frequently in children; postoperative endophthalmitis after pediatric cataract extraction was reported for the first time.