Open-angle glaucoma following surgery for congenital cataracts

Abstract

Eighteen patients who, years earlier, had undergone operations for congenital cataracts were discovered to have high intraocular pressures. Several had profound glaucomatous loss of vision. All had deep anterior chambers with flat iris planes and wide open angles. The uveal meshwork was unusually coarse and pigmented in some cases. Nystagmus, aftercataracts, and small pupils made visual field testing and observation of optic discs difficult. Most cases were bilateral, which suggested a hereditary origin; some had a family history of glaucoma. In none did we observe signs of congenital glaucoma or rubella syndrome. The incidence of this disease is not yet known, but it is common enough in our clinic to indicate lifetime surveillance for glaucoma in all patients who undergo congenital cataract surgery.