PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A P C Lupinacci
AU  - M L da Silva Jordão
AU  - G Massa
AU  - C E L Arieta
AU  - V P Costa
TI  - Central corneal thickness in children with congenital cataract and children with surgical aphakia: a case-control study
AID  - 10.1136/bjo.2008.137596
DP  - 2009 Mar 01
TA  - British Journal of Ophthalmology
PG  - 337--341
VI  - 93
IP  - 3
4099  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/93/3/337.short
4100  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/93/3/337.full
SO  - Br J Ophthalmol2009 Mar 01; 93
AB  - Aim: To measure the central corneal thickness (CCT) of children with congenital cataract and surgical aphakia.Methods: Children with congenital cataract or surgical aphakia were prospectively recruited and divided into four groups: unilateral cataract (group 1, n = 14), bilateral cataract (group 2, n = 17), unilateral aphakia (group 3, n = 32) and bilateral aphakia (group 4, n = 44). An age-, sex-, and race-matched control group of normal individuals was selected. Ultrasonic pachymetry was performed by the same observer.Results: The mean CCT of the control group was not significantly different from the normal (p = 0.747) and cataractous eyes of group 1 (p = 0.252). The mean CCTs of both eyes of group 2 were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.01). The mean CCT of the aphakic eyes in group 3 was significantly higher than the contralateral healthy eyes and control eyes (p<0.001). The mean CCTs of both eyes of group 4 were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.001). The mean CCT was significantly higher in aphakic eyes of groups 3 and 4 than in cataractous eyes of groups 1 and 2 (p<0.001).Conclusions: Aphakic eyes due to congenital cataract show thicker corneas than normal phakic eyes. Aphakic eyes after congenital cataract extraction show thicker corneas than eyes with congenital cataracts, suggesting that the increase in CCT occurs postoperatively.