Regional difference of genetic factors for congenitals cataract. The results of congenital cataract screening under normal pupil conditions for infants in Tianjin city

L.-A. Huo, J. Yang, C. Zhang

Department of Ophthalmology, Health Care Center of Women and Children in Tianjin, Tianjin, P.R. China. huolian77@yahoo.com.cn

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• Ophthalmology

PURPOSE: To inquire into the morbidity of congenital cataract which affects the visual development of infants in Tianjin, find the proportion of cases caused by genetic factors, and to provide the baseline information for discovering amblyopia in an early stage so as to reduce vision disability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Babies no more than two months old were screened for congenital cataract under normal pupil conditions. The check-up was performed using ophthalmoscope and a portable slit lamp.

RESULTS: Among the 268,989 babies (537,978 eyes) being checked, 44 cases (75 eyes) of congenital cataract (13 unilateral cases and 31 bilateral cases) were detected and a morbidity rate of 0.016‰ was reported. 13 of the 44 babies (0.048‰) face difficulties in vision development. In the 44 positive cases, 7 had a family history of congenital cataract (15.91%), 8 (18.18%) had high risk factors and the other 29 cases (65.91%) reported no known reasons.

CONCLUSIONS: Babies eyes screening under normal pupil conditions is an effective, rapid and acceptable method for discovering congenital cataract cases. Unlike findings in other related literatures, we found that genetic factors accounted for 15.91% of the incidence of congenital cataract, while 65.91% cases can’t be explained.

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