LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN AXIAL LENGTH IN PSEUDOPHAKIC CHILDREN

Purpose: To evaluate the axial length changes that occur in children 3 to 9 years of age who had cataract extraction with primary intraocula r lens (IOL) implantation. Setting: Emery Eye Center, Emery University , and Egleston Children's Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Methods: A review of 17 eyes in 15 children (mean age 6.4 years; range 3 to 9 yea rs) who had primary IOL implantation was undertaken. Patients were fol lowed for an average of 3.1 years. The initial and final axial length measurements and refractive errors were compared. Results: The overall change in mean axial length in the 17 eyes was 0.64 mm. The overall m ean myopic shift was -1.01 diopters (D) (range -3.00 to +0.50 D). Eyes with traumatic cataracts experienced more axial elongation than eyes with developmental/congenital cataracts (0.97 mm versus -0.01 mm; P = .03). Ninety-four percent of patients obtained a final visual acuity o f 20/40 or better. Conclusion: Eyes with traumatic cataracts experienc ed more axial elongation than eyes with developmental/congenital catar acts after cataract extraction and IOL implantation.