Posters

Evaluation of corneal endothelial integrity in post-surgical paediatric cataract with lens implantation

Poster Details

First Author: T.Boulter USA

Co Author(s):    N. Carpenter   Y. Bradfield   M. Struck              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Cataract surgery in adult patients has been shown to affect the integrity of the endothelial cell layer of the cornea. On the other hand, cataract surgery in paediatric patients has not been shown to be significantly associated with endothelial cell damage. We aimed to investigate the possible significant difference in the integrity of the endothelial cells of the paediatric patient following cataract surgery.

Setting:

A retrospective chart review was performed at one academic institution utilizing current procedural terminology (CPT) codes.

Methods:

This chart review generated a patient list of 161 individuals who were further vexed to see if the meet both the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This process identified 59 eligible patients. Inclusion criteria include: patients who underwent unilateral cataract surgery with primary or secondary intraocular lens implantation before the age of 12, operated on between the dates of 11/1/2001 and 6/30/2018. Exclusion criteria include: history of ocular trauma, history of enucleation/evisceration/exenteration, history of phthisis bulbi, history of bilateral intraocular surgery, history of corneal disease, no history of intraocular lens implantation, and inability to sit for specular microscopy

Results:

28 patient were recruited. 25 successfully obtained specular microscopy. Average follow up of 9.4 years. 36% of eyes showed a 5% reduction in endothelial cell counts compared to the fellow unoperated eye. Greatest reduction recorded was 13.2%. 44% of eyes showed a higher endothelial cell count in the operated eye when compared to the fellow eye.

Conclusions:

Corneal endothelium has been documented to be sensitive to intraocular surgery in adults, but there has not been strong evidence to support this fact in the pediatric population. Our results indicate a small percentage of patients receiving cataract extraction may experience endothelial cell loss. Because of this patient population the control was the fellow unoperated eye which limits the determination of significant difference.

Financial Disclosure:

None