Clinical profile of congenital and developmental cataract in a tertiary care centre of southern india

Introduction: Cataract is an important cause of preventable blindness in children. Early detection and management of congenital cataracts is of extreme importance due to the risk of amblyopia and visual morbidity. Cataracts of certain morphology are associated with better prognosis. Aim: To study the profile of congenital and developmental cataracts in our tertiary care centre and to evaluate the visual outcomes and complications following cataract surgery. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was done in a tertiary care centre of Mangalore, Karnataka, of all cases of congenital and developmental cataract, operated by a single surgeon, from February 2012 to September 2017. Results: Bilateral cataracts were seen in 70.5% of patients. Lamellar cataract was seen in 44% of eyes. Phaco-aspiration with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation was done in 61.3% of eyes. Postoperatively, 44.4% of eyes achieved best corrected visual acuity of 6/6 to 6/12. There is a significant association between the age of the patient, the presence of nystagmus and the type of cataract with the post-operative best corrected visual acuity. Conclusion: The age of the patient, the presence of nystagmus and the type of cataract are significantly associated with the postoperative best corrected visual acuity in patients with congenital and developmental cataract.