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Strabismus following bilateral cataract surgery in childhood

  • Clinical Investigation
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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the clinical characteristics of strabismus in children undergoing bilateral cataract surgery.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 56 children undergoing bilateral cataract surgery who had no evidence of strabismus before the surgery and a difference of less than two Snellen lines in postoperative best-corrected visual acuity between the two eyes.

Results

Strabismus developed in 31 (55.4%) patients after cataract extraction. Age at the time of cataract diagnosis (P = 0.006) and extraction (P = 0.025) was significantly lower in the strabismus group than in the no-strabismus group. Exotropia (45.2%) was the prevalent type of strabismus, followed by esotropia (35.5%). Patients with cataracts extracted within the first 12 months of life comprised 51.6% of the strabismus group and 20% of the no-strabismus group (P = 0.026). Strabismus surgery was performed in 11 patients. In five aphakic patients with strabismus, the angle of deviation decreased significantly after secondary intraocular lens implantation, and strabismus surgery was not required.

Conclusion

Strabismus is a frequent complication following bilateral cataract surgery in childhood. Children undergoing bilateral cataract surgery, especially at an early age, should be followed carefully for the development of strabismus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

    Shin Hae Park, Jung Hwa Na & Sun Young Shin

  2. Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpodong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Korea

    Sun Young Shin

Authors
  1. Shin Hae Park
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  2. Jung Hwa Na
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  3. Sun Young Shin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sun Young Shin.

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Park, S.H., Na, J.H. & Shin, S.Y. Strabismus following bilateral cataract surgery in childhood. Jpn J Ophthalmol 54, 272–277 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-010-0806-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-010-0806-0

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