Congenital and traumatic cataract. The effect on ocular axial length
R. Rasooly and D. BenEzra
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Immuno-Ophthalmology Unit, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem.
Elongation of the eye is one of the drawbacks of implanting intraocular
lenses in children. To evaluate possible effects of cataract and aphakia on
eye elongation, we measured the axial length in children with unilateral
aphakia (15 children with congenital cataract and 27 with traumatic
cataract) and in children with bilateral congenital cataract (operated on
in 14 cases and not operated on in eight cases). In all cases of unilateral
aphakia, the aphakic eye was consistently longer than the normal fellow
eye. Excessive eye elongation was related to corresponding reduction in
visual acuity. The presumed rate of elongation was quantitatively expressed
using the time elapsed since surgery and the age of the child. In bilateral
congenital cataract, the axial length measured in aphakic eyes that were
operated on was similar to that in eyes that were not operated on. We
suggest that unilateral cataract or aphakia is associated with excessive
eye elongation of affected eyes. Eye elongation seems to be related to
amblyopia and poor vision rather than to aphakia.
