Original Article

Development of Secondary Glaucoma After Congenital Cataract Surgery and the Underlying Risk Factors

10.4274/tjo.41.91885

  • Nilgün Uysal Solmaz
  • Feyza Önder
  • Güldal Ersoy Koca

Received Date: 15.02.2011 Accepted Date: 18.05.2011 Turk J Ophthalmol 2011;41(6):358-363

Pur­po­se:

To determine the risk factors and incidence of glaucoma following congenital cataract surgery in our case series.

Patients and Methods:

Records of children who underwent cataract surgery between January 2001 and December 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Age at primary surgery, microcornea, aphakia/ pseudophakia and associated systemic pathology were analyzed as potential risk factors for glaucoma secondary to surgery. Sixty-five eyes of 37 patients having a minimum 6-month follow-up were included in the study.

Results:

Age at surgery was 35.6±43.9 months (2 months-17 years) with a follow-up period of 38.6±28.1 months (6 months-8.5 years). Glaucoma developed in 8 patients (14 eyes; 21.5%). Time between surgery and glaucoma diagnosis was 47.3±23.3 months (20 months-7 years). Glaucoma incidence in aphakic and pseudophakic cases did not differ. Glaucoma development significantly correlated with age at surgery (p<0.001), microcornea (p=0.001) and presence of systemic pathology (p=0.007). Mean age at surgery was significantly lower in patients with glaucoma diagnosis (7.4 months) than in those who did not develop glaucoma (43.4 months). However, the mean follow-up period was significantly longer in patients with glaucoma (p=0.003). Whereas glaucoma developed in 60% and 38.5% of the eyes of patients with microcornea and systemic pathology, respectively, this dropped to 14.5% and 10.3% in cases with normal corneal diameter and absence of systemic pathology, respectively.

Discussion:

Early age at cataract surgery, microcornea and systemic pathologies are important risk factors for development of secondary glaucoma and the incidence of glaucoma increases with longer follow-up. To prevent visual loss, patients should be followed up lifelong.(Turk J Ophthalmol 2011; 41: 358-63)

Keywords: Congenital cataract, secondary glaucoma, risk factors

Full Text (Turkish)