Clinical characteristics and treatment of secondary glaucoma, glaucoma suspects and ocular hypertension after congenital cataract surgery

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate changes in intraocular pressure after congenital cataract surgery in a real-world setting. Methods: This retrospective case series included all children aged 0–2 years undergoing lens extraction due to congenital cataract. Development of an elevated intraocular pressure was divided into three groups: secG, suspG and OHT. Further, risk factors for IOP changes, the therapeutic approach and functional outcome were assessed during follow-up. Results: One hundred and sixty-one eyes of 110 patients aged 0–2 years were included, whereof 29 eyes of 17 children developed secondary glaucoma (secG; 11 eyes/8 patients), glaucoma suspect (suspG; three eyes/three patients) or ocular hypertension (OHT; 15 eyes/10 patients). No difference in surgrical procedure ( p = 0.62) was found, but age at cataract surgery differed significantly ( p = 0.048), with the secG group (1.74 ± 1.01 months) being the youngest (suspG: 3.93 ± 1.80 months; OHT group: 5.91 ± 5.36 months). Secondary surgical intervention was significantly higher in the secG (4.64 ± 3.41) followed by the suspG (2.00 ± 2.65) and OHT groups (0.40 ± 0.74; p < 0.001). Postoperative complications including nystagmus ( p = 0.81), strabismus ( p = 0.98) and amblyopia ( p = 0.73) showed no difference, in contrast to visual axis obscuration which was more common in the secG group ( p = 0.036). Conclusion: Initial lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy procedure together with or without IOL implantation seems to have no influence for the development of IOP changes after pediatric cataract surgery. However, children who developed secondary glaucoma had cataract surgery significantly earlier, within the first 2–3 months of life. Glaucoma surgery was required to achieve final IOP control in most eyes. The development of secondary glaucoma was also associated with a significant increase in surgical re-treatments.