MANAGEMENT OF PAEDIATRIC CATARACT AT KHYBER TEACHING HOSPITAL PESHAWAR

Objectives: To point out the causes of cataract and aim at controlling childhood blindness.Methodology: A retrospective study on 110 cases of paediatric cataract admitted to Eye ʹAʹ ward, Khyber Teaching Hospital over a 12 month period between 1st January 2000 - 31" December 2000 was carried out. The etiology of cataract varied from developmental (60.3%), traumatic (24%) & congenital (13.7%) to complicated (2%) cataract.Results: The surgical management of each case was on individual basis and included lens aspiration (LA) and phacoemulsification (PE) while one patient underwent intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE). Post op visual rehabilitation was mainly in the form of spectacles (62%) while intraocular lenses (IOL) were implanted (38%) where appropriate.Conclusion: Paediatric cataract is the most treatable cause of childhood blindness. Early detection and surgical treatment followed by visual rehabilitation is very important.