Incidence and Risk Factors of Glaucoma Following Pediatric Cataract Surgery With Primary Implantation

Am J Ophthalmol. 2021 Apr:224:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2020.09.025. Epub 2020 Sep 18.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the incidence and risk factors for glaucoma after pediatric cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Design: Retrospective, consecutive case series.

Methods: In this single-center study, we reviewed 136 children (199 eyes) who underwent pediatric cataract surgery before 1 year of age with a minimum of 1 year of follow-up. The intervention used was pediatric cataract surgery with IOL implantation, and the primary outcome measure was the presence or absence of secondary glaucoma.

Results: The mean age at surgery was 148 ± 93 days (range 30-359 days) with a mean follow-up of 6.3 ± 3.6 years (range 1.1-12.8 years). Glaucoma developed in 31 eyes (16%) with 5- and 10-year incidence rates of 12% and 28%, respectively. The incidence of glaucoma seemed to be bimodal, with a first peak occurring after a mean delay of 2.5 months (range 1.6-4.1 months) and a second peak occurring after a mean delay of 5.7 years (range 2.6-11.7 years). Younger age at surgery, shorter axial length, longer follow-up, use of trypan blue, reintervention, and bilateral surgery were associatied with a higher incidence of glaucoma. Multivariate analysis including the aforementioned variables indentified longer follow-up (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.1-1.6], P = .001), reintervention (OR = 4.1 [95% CI 1.2-13.4], P = 0.02), and the use of trypan blue (OR = 4.1 [95% CI 1.3-13.1], P = .02) as predictors for the development of glaucoma.

Conclusion: Glaucoma is a common complication after pediatric cataract surgery. It seemed to have a bimodal incidence. Risk factors for glaucoma development were reintervention, the use of trypan blue, and a long follow-up.

MeSH terms

  • Cataract / congenital
  • Cataract Extraction / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glaucoma, Open-Angle / diagnosis
  • Glaucoma, Open-Angle / epidemiology*
  • Glaucoma, Open-Angle / therapy
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Intraocular Pressure / physiology
  • Lens Implantation, Intraocular / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Ocular Hypertension / diagnosis
  • Ocular Hypertension / epidemiology
  • Ocular Hypertension / therapy
  • Postoperative Complications / diagnosis
  • Postoperative Complications / epidemiology*
  • Postoperative Complications / therapy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Tonometry, Ocular
  • Visual Acuity / physiology