Purpose: To retrospectively estimate the long-term corneal endothelial cell loss in children after perforating corneal trauma and implantation of an iris-fixated anterior-chamber intraocular lens (IOL), either the Artisan aphakia lens or the Artificial Iris Implant, and to compare this corneal endothelial cell loss to that in children who received an Artisan aphakia lens to correct aphakia after cataract extraction for unilateral congenital cataract.
Methods: A retrospective study was performed, evaluating the charts and endothelial photographs of 6 patients with unilateral traumatic cataract, with a mean age at IOL implantation of 9.5 years (range: 5.8-12.8 years) and a mean follow-up after IOL implantation of 10.5 years (range: 8.0-14.7 years), and of 3 children who were operated on for unilateral congenital cataract at a mean age of 2.7 years and who received an Artisan aphakia IOL, with a mean follow-up after IOL implantation of 9.5 years (range: 4.7-14.5 years). Parameters that were studied were central endothelial cell density (CECD) in both the operated and the normal eye at the last follow-up visit, percentage of cell loss in the operated eye compared with the normal eye, and length and location of the corneal scar in the injured eye.
Results: : In the traumatic cataract group, CECD was, on average, 41% (range: 22%-58%) lower in the operated eye (1.647 +/- 322 [SD] cells/mm) than the normal eye (2.799 +/- 133 cells/mm). A significant negative linear correlation was found between the length of the corneal perforation scar and CECD. In the congenital cataract group, no statistical difference in CECD was found between the operated (3.323 +/- 410 cells/mm) and the unoperated (3.165 +/- 205 cells/mm) eye.
Conclusion: Endothelial cell loss 10.5 years after iris-fixated IOL implantation for traumatic cataract was substantial and related to the length of the corneal scar of the original trauma. In children operated on for congenital cataract, no difference was found in CECD in the operated and unoperated eyes 9.5 years after Artisan aphakia IOL implantation.