Purpose: To evaluate the anatomical and functional state of eyeballs after cataract extraction in uveitis in children and to analyze the factors affecting visual outcome.
Material and methods: Among 182 examined eyes with uveitis we have observed cataract in 22 eyeballs of 17 children (12%). Before operation in 72.7% cases visual acuity was less or equal 0.02, in the others it was not more than 0.2. The age of patients ranged between 2 and 18 years, the mean age 8 years. The cause of uveitis was: chronic tonsillitis or sinusitis in 6 patients, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in 2 patients, heterochromic Fuchs iridocyclitis in 2 children, in the others the cause was unknown. In 4 eyeballs (18%) we have observed increased intraocular pressure before operation. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 15 years, the mean was 5 years.
Results: We have obtained normal visual acuity in 31.8% cases and better than 0.1 in 68.2% od eyes. In children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, 2 eyeballs lost light perception as a result of corpus vitreous fibrosis and in one case we have observed only light perception. Optic nerve glaucomatous neuropathy was the cause of poor functional result in 2 eyes (0.02 and 0.04). Another causes of not satisfactory visual acuity were: corneal dystrophy (2 eyes), cystoid macular oedema (2 eyes) and amblyopia ex anopsia (2 eyes).
Conclusions: We have obtained normal or good visual acuity in majority of the operated eyes. The causes of poor vision were the anatomical changes after uveitis before the cataract extraction.