TY - JOUR
T1 - Unilateral axial length elongation with chronic traumatic cataracts in young Kenyans
AU - Gradin, Dan
AU - Gichuhi, Stephen
PY - 2008/9
Y1 - 2008/9
N2 - Purpose: To assess whether unilateral axial elongation in chronic traumatic cataract is associated with the time interval from trauma to surgery. Setting: PCEA Kikuyu Hospital Eye Unit, Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients with traumatic cataract operated on between 1998 and 2007. Study patients (n = 13) had a delay from trauma to surgery of more than 1 year and an interocular axial length (AL) difference greater than 1.0 mm. Randomly selected age-matched control patients (n = 14) had less than 1 year delay between trauma and surgery. The correlation between interocular AL difference and surgical delay was calculated in each group. Results: The median interval from trauma to surgical treatment in study patients was 8 years (range 1 to 27 years). Study patients had a significantly higher median interocular AL difference (3.09 mm; interquartile range [IQR] 2.45 to 4.13 mm) than control patients (0.24 mm; IQR 0.15 to 0.30 mm) (P = .000). The length of delay from trauma to surgical treatment did not correlate strongly with the interocular AL difference in study or control patients (R2 = 0.0143 and R2 = 0.1697, respectively). Conclusions: Unilateral AL elongation may occur in young adults with chronic traumatic cataract. Delay of more than 1 year from trauma to surgery was associated with axial elongation, although the degree of elongation did not correlate with duration of delay. Surgeons are advised to implant lower-power intraocular lenses in such patients based on biometry readings to avoid postoperative refractive surprises.
AB - Purpose: To assess whether unilateral axial elongation in chronic traumatic cataract is associated with the time interval from trauma to surgery. Setting: PCEA Kikuyu Hospital Eye Unit, Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients with traumatic cataract operated on between 1998 and 2007. Study patients (n = 13) had a delay from trauma to surgery of more than 1 year and an interocular axial length (AL) difference greater than 1.0 mm. Randomly selected age-matched control patients (n = 14) had less than 1 year delay between trauma and surgery. The correlation between interocular AL difference and surgical delay was calculated in each group. Results: The median interval from trauma to surgical treatment in study patients was 8 years (range 1 to 27 years). Study patients had a significantly higher median interocular AL difference (3.09 mm; interquartile range [IQR] 2.45 to 4.13 mm) than control patients (0.24 mm; IQR 0.15 to 0.30 mm) (P = .000). The length of delay from trauma to surgical treatment did not correlate strongly with the interocular AL difference in study or control patients (R2 = 0.0143 and R2 = 0.1697, respectively). Conclusions: Unilateral AL elongation may occur in young adults with chronic traumatic cataract. Delay of more than 1 year from trauma to surgery was associated with axial elongation, although the degree of elongation did not correlate with duration of delay. Surgeons are advised to implant lower-power intraocular lenses in such patients based on biometry readings to avoid postoperative refractive surprises.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jcrs.2008.05.035
DO - 10.1016/j.jcrs.2008.05.035
M3 - Article
C2 - 18721721
AN - SCOPUS:49449104256
SN - 0886-3350
VL - 34
SP - 1566
EP - 1570
JO - Journal of cataract and refractive surgery
JF - Journal of cataract and refractive surgery
IS - 9
ER -