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Strabismus in infants following congenital cataract surgery

  • Pediatrics
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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the incidence and characteristics of strabismus following congenital cataract surgery in infants.

Materials and methods

Patients aged <12 months who underwent surgery for congenital cataract and were followed-up for ≥1 years were included. Patients that had strabismus prior to surgery were excluded. Data regarding gender, cataract laterality, morphology, and density, age at the time of cataract surgery, ocular motility post surgery, and the presence of nystagmus were retrospectively obtained from the patients’ records.

Results

The study included 79 patients (48 male and 31 female). Unilateral surgery was performed in 14 of the patients, versus bilateral surgery in 65. Strabismus did not occur post surgery in 32 (40.5 %) of the patients (group 1), whereas 47 (59.5 %) (group 2) developed strabismus following surgery. The patients in group 1 were followed-up for a mean 50.7 ± 38.5 months, versus 50.3 ± 39 months in group 2. Mean age at the time of cataract surgery in groups 1 and 2 was 3.6 ± 1.9 years and 4.6 ± 3.2 months respectively. Mean duration of time between cataract surgery and the development of strabismus was 13.3 ± 13 months (range: 1–60 months). Unilateral cases were more prone to develop strabismus, which was statistically significant (p = 0.028). Age at the time of cataract surgery, gender, cataract density, the occurrence of aphakic glaucoma, the presence of nystagmus, and additional ocular surgery were not significantly associated with the development of strabismus.

Conclusion

Strabismus develops more frequently in children undergoing cataract surgery. In the present study strabismus occurred in more of the patients that underwent unilateral surgery. Based on the present findings, we think that long-term careful follow-up to monitor the development of strabismus is required in all infants undergoing cataract surgery, especially unilateral cases.

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Conflict of interest

No conflicting relationship exists for any author and there is no financial support or interest related to the material in the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Ege University, 35040, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey

    Elif Demirkilinc Biler & Onder Uretmen

  2. Usak State Hospital, Usak, Turkey

    Duygu Inci Bozbiyik

  3. Izmir, Turkey

    Suheyla Kose

Authors
  1. Elif Demirkilinc Biler
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  2. Duygu Inci Bozbiyik
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  3. Onder Uretmen
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  4. Suheyla Kose
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elif Demirkilinc Biler.

Additional information

The study was conducted at the pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus unit in Ophthalmology Department, Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. It has been read and approved by all authors involved. It has not been and will not be submitted elsewhere for publication.

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Demirkilinc Biler, E., Bozbiyik, D.I., Uretmen, O. et al. Strabismus in infants following congenital cataract surgery. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 253, 1801–1807 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-2983-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-2983-5

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