Kimberly G. Yen

The Infant Aphakia Treatment Study: Design and Clinical Measures at Enrollment

OBJECTIVE To compare the use of contact lenses and intraocular lenses (IOLs) for the optical correction of unilateral aphakia during infancy. METHODS In a randomized, multicenter (12 sites) clinical trial, 114 infants with unilateral congenital cataracts were assigned to undergo cataract surgery with or without IOL implantation. Children randomized to IOL treatment had their residual refractive error corrected with spectacles. Children randomized to no IOL treatment had their aphakia treated with a contact lens. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Grating acuity at 12 months of age and HOTV visual acuity at 4 1/2 years of age. APPLICATION TO CLINICAL PRACTICE This study should determine whether either treatment for an infant with a visually significant unilateral congenital cataract results in a better visual outcome. RESULTS Enrollment began December 23, 2004, and was completed January 16, 2009. The median age at the time of cataract surgery was 1.8 months. Fifty patients were 4 to 6 weeks of age at the time of enrollment; 32, 7 weeks to 3 months of age; and the remaining 32, more than 3 to less than 7 months of age. Fifty-seven children were randomized to each treatment group. Eyes with cataracts had shorter axial lengths and steeper corneas on average than the fellow eyes. CONCLUSIONS The optimal optical treatment of aphakia in infants is unknown. However, the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study was designed to provide empirical evidence of whether optical treatment with an IOL or a contact lens after unilateral cataract surgery during infancy is associated with a better visual outcome.

Iris-fixated Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lenses in Children

PURPOSE To report the short-term outcomes and complications of iris-fixated posterior chamber intraocular lenses (PCIOL) in the pediatric population. DESIGN Retrospective, observational case study. METHODS Twelve consecutive pediatric patients (17 eyes) underwent placement of foldable iris-sutured PCIOLs between September 1, 2004 and September 30, 2007 by two anterior segment surgeons at a single academic center. Outcome measures included change in visual acuity (VA) and complications. RESULTS In our series, there was a higher rate of dislocation of iris-sutured IOLs in patients with a history of ectopia lentis resulting from Marfan syndrome or hereditary or idiopathic causes than in patients being treated for aphakia resulting from other causes (45% vs 0%). Mean final VA improved by 0.23 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution units from preoperative baseline. One eye of a Marfan patient sustained a retinal detachment eight months after dislocation of the PCIOL, and one patient experienced iris capture of the IOL after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Iris-fixated IOLs are reasonable alternative to transsclerally sutured IOLs to correct aphakia in pediatric patient. Dislocation of the IOLs can occur, however, and there is concern for suture degradation over time. The procedure should be considered with caution in pediatric patients.

Inflammatory disorders of the orbit in childhood: A case series

PURPOSE To describe a series of cases of orbital inflammatory disorders in children. DESIGN Retrospective case series. METHODS The medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with orbital inflammation between September 1, 2002, and December 31, 2008, at Texas Childrens Hospital were reviewed. Data collected included age at presentation, final diagnosis, treatment, workup and evaluation, need for biopsy and biopsy results, and involvement of lacrimal gland and muscles. RESULTS Twelve cases were identified. Six cases were males and 6 were females with age at presentation ranging from 1.3 to 16.2 years (mean, 11.9 years). The most common presentation was lacrimal gland enlargement, which was bilateral in 3 cases. Other common presenting signs were proptosis, extraocular motility limitation, and pain on eye movement. Half of our patients had systemic complaints at presentation, the most common of which was fever. Four patients were diagnosed as having a systemic cause and 2 of these patients had systemic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Idiopathic orbital inflammatory conditions in children are uncommon, but can be associated with systemic conditions. Patients typically have lacrimal gland involvement, pain with eye movement, proptosis, and motility deficits at presentation. Bilateral cases may have a higher incidence of systemic disease.

Surgical intervention for traumatic cataracts in children: Epidemiology, complications, and outcomes

PURPOSE To describe the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of a series of patients with unilateral traumatic cataracts. METHODS Retrospective, noncomparative review of 25 consecutive children with unilateral traumatic cataracts managed at a single institution during a 5-year period with regard to demographic data, mode of injury, clinical course, and outcome. RESULTS Paintball and BB gun injuries were the most common mode of injury, accounting for 28% of all cases, followed by injury from pens and pencils (16%). Preoperative visual acuity was poor in 19 patients (76%), and final postoperative visual acuity was poor (20/200 or worse) in 4 patients (16%); this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Twenty-one percent of children with poor vision on initial examination had poor vision at their final examination, and no patients with vision better than 20/200 on initial examination developed poor vision postoperatively (p = 0.29). Patients who developed poor final vision were younger on average than those who achieved satisfactory vision (5.25 years vs 7.5 years). Poor visual outcome did not appear to depend on the time from injury to presentation and time interval between injury and cataract extraction. CONCLUSIONS Children with visually significant traumatic cataracts can have good outcomes if they are managed aggressively and appropriately. In our patient population, paintballs and BB guns accounted for more than 25% of traumatic cataract injuries, and a large number of traumatic cataracts were sustained by pens and pencils.

Stereopsis Results at 4.5 Years of Age in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study

PURPOSE To determine whether stereopsis of infants treated for monocular cataracts varies with the type of optical correction used. DESIGN Randomized prospective clinical trial. METHODS The Infant Aphakia Treatment Study randomized 114 patients with unilateral cataracts at age 1-7 months to either primary intraocular lens (IOL) or contact lens correction. At 4.5 years of age a masked examiner assessed stereopsis on these patients using 3 different tests: (1) Frisby; (2) Randot Preschool; and (3) Titmus Fly. RESULTS Twenty-eight patients (25%) had a positive response to at least 1 of the stereopsis tests. There was no statistically significant difference in stereopsis between the 2 treatment groups: Frisby (contact lens, 6 [11%]; IOL, 7 [13%]; P = .99), Randot (contact lens, 3 [6%]; IOL, 1 [2%]; P = .62), or Titmus (contact lens, 8 [15%]; IOL, 13 [23%]; P = .34). The median age at surgery for patients with stereopsis was younger than for those without stereopsis (1.2 vs 2.4 months; P = .002). The median visual acuity for patients with stereopsis was better than for those without stereopsis (20/40 vs 20/252; P = .0003). CONCLUSION The type of optical correction did not influence stereopsis outcomes. However, 2 other factors did: age at surgery and visual acuity in the treated eye at age 4.5 years. Early surgery for unilateral congenital cataract and the presence of visual acuity better than or equal to 20/40 appear to be more important than the type of initial optical correction used for the development of stereopsis.

Outcome and prognosis of pediatric patients with delayed diagnosis of open-globe injuries.

PURPOSE Open-globe injuries in children can present in a delayed fashion, potentially increasing the risk of endophthalmitis and delaying surgical intervention. This article presents the outcome of pediatric patients with delayed diagnosis of open-globe injuries for 24 hours or more. METHODS The study was a retrospective observational case series of patients who presented with open-globe injuries diagnosed 24 hours or more after the injury between July 2002 and March 2007. RESULTS Thirteen patients were included in the study. The average age at presentation was 5.8 +/- 2.8 years; average follow-up was 11.5 +/- 14.5 months. Mean time of presentation after injury was 9.2 +/- 16.0 days. The most common chief complaints were chronic red eye (7 of 13 patients), eye pain (5 of 13 patients), and decreased vision (4 of 13 patients). All patients had self-sealing corneal wounds; 8 of 13 patients had a visually significant traumatic cataract. One patient had sympathetic ophthalmia. Initial visual acuity was 20/200 or worse in 10 patients, and final visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 6 patients. No patient had endophthalmitis. CONCLUSION Open-globe injuries, especially self-sealing corneal wounds, can present in a delayed fashion in children or may be missed if obvious findings, such as subconjunctival hemorrhage or prolapsed iris tissue, are not present. Pediatricians should be educated that they should maintain a high level of suspicion in the setting of chronic unilateral red eye, decreased visual acuity, or abnormal red reflex.

Scleral-fixated capsular tension rings and segments for ectopia lentis in children.

PURPOSE To report the short-term outcomes and complications of implantation of scleral-fixated capsular tension rings and/or capsular tension segments with intraocular lenses (IOL) in pediatric patients with ectopia lentis. DESIGN Retrospective, observational case series. METHODS Thirteen consecutive pediatric patients (19 eyes) underwent placement of in-the-bag IOL with either a Cionni modified capsular tension ring or a capsular tension segment in conjunction with a conventional capsular tension ring between January 1, 2009 and March 30, 2013 by 3 anterior segment surgeons at a single academic center. The scleral fixation suture was 9-0 polypropylene in 16 eyes and CV-8 Gore-Tex (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) in 3 eyes. Outcome measures included change in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and complications. RESULTS The mean age was 10.2 years ± 4.8 (SD) and the median follow-up, 23.4 months. A Cionni modified capsular tension ring was implanted in 5 eyes and a capsular tension segment with an unsutured capsular tension ring was implanted in 12 eyes. In 2 eyes, capsular tension segment alone was placed. The mean CDVA at the final follow-up (0.10 ± 0.11 logMAR, 18 eyes) was significantly better than preoperatively (0.58 ± 0.26 logMAR, 15 eyes) (P < .001). The CDVA at the final follow-up was 20/40 or better in 18 eyes (94.7%). All IOLs were well centered. Posterior capsule opacification developed in 11 eyes (57.9%), 9 eyes (47.4%) required neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet capsulotomy, and 3 eyes (15.8%) required pars plana vitrectomy and posterior capsulotomy. Other complications included broken suture (5.3%) (9-0 polypropylene at CTR eyelet, repaired with CV-8 Gore-Tex), conjunctival dehiscence (5.3%), suture exposure (5.3%) (trans-scleral 9-0 polypropylene), and vitreous strand at inferior paracentesis (5.3%). CONCLUSIONS Implantation of in-the-bag IOL with either a Cionni modified capsular tension ring or a capsular tension segment in conjunction with a conventional capsular tension ring appears to be a safe and effective technique for visual rehabilitation in pediatric ectopia lentis.

Infantile Orbital Cellulitis

Dear Editor: Although orbital cellulitis can affect all age groups, it is more common in children than in adults. Children are particularly susceptible to serious complications such as optic neuropathy, endophthalmitis, meningitis, and brain abscess, due to their weakened immune system, and these complications can lead to vision loss and death. Before the introduction of the HiB vaccine in 1985, Haemophilus influenzae was the most common pathogen isolated in patients with orbital cellulitis. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated that the organisms currently responsible for pediatric orbital cellulitis are more frequently Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. The present study was designed to report on the presentation, etiology, computed tomography findings, and treatment outcome of infants admitted to a tertiary-care children’s hospital with a presenting diagnosis of orbital cellulitis. The inpatient records of all patients younger than 1 year treated for orbital cellulitis between December 2001 and September 2005 at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston were reviewed. A total of 9 cases of infantile orbital cellulitis were identified that met study criteria. Average age at presentation was 3.8 months (range, 1.0–8.9). Presenting signs and symptoms of fever, periorbital edema, and periorbital erythema were noted in all 9 cases. Reduced appetite was noted in 6 patients, and lethargy was reported in 1 case. Just over half of the patients in our series (5/9 [55.6%]) responded to the intravenous antibiotics and did not require surgical management. A total of 4 patients required surgical drainage of a subperiosteal abscess with or without drainage of the sinuses. Ethmoid sinusitis was the source of infection in all of our cases. All but one of our patients had either a phlegmon or subperiosteal abscess adjacent to the medial rectus muscle on radiographic evaluation. This is consistent with previous studies that have demonstrated that ethmoid sinusitis accounts for more than 90% of all reported cases. Other causes of orbital cellulitis besides sinusitis include trauma and dental infections. We found Staphylococcus species to be the most common pathogen in our infantile orbital cellulitis patients, with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) being identified in the cultures of 4 of 9 (44.4%) cases. Additional studies have found similar trends in the incidence of culture-positive MRSA in the general population within recent years. Specifically, a recent epidemiological analysis of data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 31.6% of the United States population is colonized with Staphylococcus and that 0.84% carry MRSA. Moreover, a study of pediatric patients in the Houston area found that MRSA accounted for 67% of community-associated S. aureus infections among hospitalized patients. A study by Garcia and Harris of 9-year-olds with orbital cellulitis concluded that, in the absence of the symptoms frontal sinusitis, nonmedial location of subperiosteal abscess, large subperiosteal abscess, suspicion of anaerobic subperiosteal infenction, recurrence of superiosteal abscess after previous drainage, evidence of chronic sinusitis, acute optic nerve or retinal compromise, or infection of dental origin, surgical management of orbital cellulitis was needed in only 2 of 29 (7%) patients. Our population, however, is younger than that in the Garcia and Harris study. Furthermore, our facility is a major referral center. Due to the small number of patients in our study, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions from these numbers. In conclusion, our study shows a high frequency of infection with MRSA among infants with orbital cellulitis. Ethmoid sinusitis was the most common etiology for the orbital cellulitis in our series. Aggressive broad-spectrum antibiotics covering MRSA should be promptly initiated when orbital cellulitis is suspected in the infantile patient population while awaiting results of culture specimens. Outcome is usually favorable, but serious complications can occur.

Change in Astigmatism After Temporal Clear Corneal Cataract Extraction in the Pediatric Population

Purpose: To evaluate the early postoperative change in astigmatism in pediatric patients having cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation using sutured temporal clear corneal incision. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on all pediatric patients who underwent clear corneal cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation between 12/01/2005 and 11/30/2006. Results: A total of 31 eyes of 22 patients who underwent temporal clear corneal cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation were included. The mean patient age at surgery was 6.05 years (range 1.5 months to 17 years). Mean postoperative refractive astigmatism the first day after surgery was 2.35±1.37 diopters (D). There was a statistically significant decrease in mean postoperative astigmatism by postoperative week 1 to 1.45 ± 0.79 D. Mean astigmatism was 1.48 ± 0.98 D by postoperative months 2-4, which was not a statistically significant change from postoperative day 1. Conclusions: Postoperative astigmatism can be expected after sutured temporal clear corneal surgery in pediatric patients and decreases over time without removal of sutures. The amount of postoperative astigmatism in children requires close follow-up after pediatric cataract surgery.

Long-Term Outcomes of Iris-sutured Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lenses in Children.

PURPOSE To report the long-term outcomes and complications of iris-sutured posterior chamber intraocular lenses (PCIOLs) in the pediatric population. DESIGN Retrospective interventional case study. METHODS This study involved 12 consecutive pediatric patients (17 eyes) who underwent placement of foldable iris-sutured PCIOLs between September 2004 and September 2007. Outcome measures included change in visual acuity and complications. RESULTS Of the 17 eyes were reviewed, 6 (35%) had hereditary or idiopathic ectopia lentis, 5 (29%) had Marfan syndrome, 2 (12%) were aphakic after pars plana vitrectomy and 4 (24%) were aphakic after surgical intervention for trauma. Average follow-up was 4.69 ± 3.21 years and mean age of surgery was 7.21 ± 3.78 years. Seven eyes suffered dislocation of the PCIOL an average of 12.11 ± 11.97 months after surgery, with 2 patients undergoing dislocation a second time. There was a higher rate of dislocation in patients with a history of ectopia lentis due to Marfan syndrome, idiopathic causes, or hereditary causes than in patients being treated for aphakia resulting from other causes (71% vs 29%). Mean visual acuity improved in 12 of 17 patients (71%), from 0.80 ± 0.6 logMAR preoperatively to 0.35 ± 0.5 logMAR at most recent visit, P = .009. One eye of a Marfan patient sustained a retinal detachment 8 months after dislocation of the PCIOL, and 1 patient experienced iris capture of the PCIOL after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Iris-sutured intraocular lenses have been used as an alternative to transsclerally sutured intraocular lenses to correct aphakia in pediatric patients. Dislocation of the intraocular lenses can occur frequently, however. The procedure should be considered with caution in pediatric patients.