A Retrospective Case-Control Study of the Visual Outcomes in Patients With Glaucoma Following Cataract Surgery at the Queensland Children's Hospital.

PURPOSE: To better characterize the epidemiology of glaucoma following cataract surgery (GFCS) in an Australian population and to inform clinical decision-making in patients with GFCS.

METHODS

This was a single-center retrospective case-control study looking at the incidence, management, and outcomes of glaucoma in a cohort of eyes that underwent lensectomy surgeries for congenital cataract at the Queensland Children's Hospital between January 2014 and December 2020.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven eyes underwent lensectomy for congenital cataract. GFCS was diagnosed in 24.7% of eyes, and mean age of diagnosis was 54.14 months. Surgical management was required in 53.6% of GFCS cases. Significant associations were found between age at lensectomy surgery and age at glaucoma diagnosis (r = 0.77, P < .001) and between requirement for glaucoma surgery and age at both lensectomy (P = .03), and glaucoma diagnosis (P = .01). At most recent review, median intraocular pressure (IOP) was 18 mmHg and median visual acuity was 0.8 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) in patients with glaucoma and 0.7 logMAR in patients with glaucoma suspect. A significant correlation was noted between latest IOP and age at glaucoma diagnosis (r = 0.42, P = .03) and between most recent logMAR visual acuity and glaucoma diagnosis status (P < .01). There was also a statistically significant association between length of follow-up and glaucoma diagnosis (P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide valuable long-term data on GFCS in the Australian pediatric population, aiding clinical decision-making and patient care.