Long-term results of lensectomy in children with ectopia lentis.

PURPOSE: To report the clinical features and long-term visual results in children with ectopia lentis after lensectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed with the records of 78 eyes of 42 patients operated on and observed for at least 3 years.

RESULTS

Mean age at diagnosis was 4.6 years, mean age at surgery was 5.7 years, and follow-up period was an average of 7.1 years. Of 42 patients exhibiting bilateral ectopia lentis, 6 received monocular surgery. Mean age at diagnosis was significantly higher and mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity was significantly lower in the monocular surgery group than in the binocular surgery group (P < .05). All eyes exhibited reduced hyperopia for 5 years postoperatively, but the reduction rate of hyperopia in the monocular group was significantly lower than inthe binocular group (P < .05). No complications occurred during operations and 1 eye (1.3%) in a patient with Marfan's syndrome exhibited retinal detachment 9 years after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical treatment of ectopia lentis was safe and promising with regard to good visual outcomes after 7.1 years of follow-up. However, the possibility of amblyopia must be considered due to differences in the degree of dislocation between the two eyes.