TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations between visual function and ultrastructure of the macula and optic disc after childhood cataract surgery

AU - Hansen, Mathias Møller

AU - Bach Holm, Daniella

AU - Kessel, Line

N1 - The authors would like to thank all children and their parents for their enthusiastic participation and making this project possible. Moreover, we direct a special thanks to Mette Vorborg for assistance in obtaining OCT scans of the most visually impaired children and to the Research Fund of Rigshospitalet for their financial support. This study was supported by the Research Fund of Rigshospitalet.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Purpose: To investigate the association between visual function and ultrastructural characteristics of the retina and optic disc in children operated for cataract and factors influencing this relationship. Methods: We included 56 children aged 7–18 years who had been operated for bilateral or unilateral cataract. Three-dimensional swept source OCT scans of the macula and the optic disc were obtained using the Triton OCT (Topcon, Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Best corrected distance visual acuity was measured using the HOTV 3 Meter visual chart. Contrast vision was evaluated using the Freiburg Visual Acuity Contrast Test (FrACT). Healthy fellow eyes of the unilateral group were used as control eyes. Results: We did not find any associations between visual acuity or contrast sensitivity and structural retinal parameters. Shorter axial length, the presence of glaucoma and pseudophakia (opposed to aphakia) were all significant predictors of greater mean macular thickness in a multiple regression analysis, (p = 0.039). Two children had foveal hypoplasia, and one child had a right eye with a thin, disorganized retina. Conclusions: Children with pseudophakia have a thicker macula but this does not seem to be related to visual function. Obtaining high quality OCT scans of the macula and optic disc in severely visually impaired children with glaucoma and/or nystagmus is challenging. We found structural macular changes which contributed to poor vision but most eyes with very reduced vision were difficult to image, and the prevalence of structural changes may be underestimated.

AB - Purpose: To investigate the association between visual function and ultrastructural characteristics of the retina and optic disc in children operated for cataract and factors influencing this relationship. Methods: We included 56 children aged 7–18 years who had been operated for bilateral or unilateral cataract. Three-dimensional swept source OCT scans of the macula and the optic disc were obtained using the Triton OCT (Topcon, Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Best corrected distance visual acuity was measured using the HOTV 3 Meter visual chart. Contrast vision was evaluated using the Freiburg Visual Acuity Contrast Test (FrACT). Healthy fellow eyes of the unilateral group were used as control eyes. Results: We did not find any associations between visual acuity or contrast sensitivity and structural retinal parameters. Shorter axial length, the presence of glaucoma and pseudophakia (opposed to aphakia) were all significant predictors of greater mean macular thickness in a multiple regression analysis, (p = 0.039). Two children had foveal hypoplasia, and one child had a right eye with a thin, disorganized retina. Conclusions: Children with pseudophakia have a thicker macula but this does not seem to be related to visual function. Obtaining high quality OCT scans of the macula and optic disc in severely visually impaired children with glaucoma and/or nystagmus is challenging. We found structural macular changes which contributed to poor vision but most eyes with very reduced vision were difficult to image, and the prevalence of structural changes may be underestimated.

KW - childhood cataract

KW - foveal hypoplasia

KW - macular structure

KW - optic disc

U2 - 10.1111/aos.15065

DO - 10.1111/aos.15065

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34786847

AN - SCOPUS:85119081778

VL - 100

SP - 640

EP - 647

JO - Acta Ophthalmologica

JF - Acta Ophthalmologica

SN - 1755-375X

IS - 6

ER -