Prognosis And Management Of Congenital Cataract: A Systematic Review

Congenital cataracts are a leading cause of childhood blindness, affecting 1–3 per 10,000 live births. The condition, resulting from factors such as genetic mutations and intrauterine infections, can cause severe visual impairment if left untreated. Early surgical intervention, typically within the first few months, improves visual outcomes and reduces the risk of amblyopia. Advances in surgical techniques and emerging therapies, such as gene therapy, show promise for better outcomes. The prognosis of congenital cataracts depends on factors including cataract type, coexisting disorders, and the timing of intervention. This review aims to evaluate the prognosis and management of congenital cataracts.

This systematic review is based on recent studies and clinical evidence on congenital cataract management, incorporating research on surgical techniques, post-operative care, and multidisciplinary approaches involving pediatric ophthalmologists and rehabilitation specialists. Data were gathered from databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Springer, and Cochrane.

This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. A literature search was independently performed by four authors across the databases, covering the past 10 years to identify relevant studies. Keywords were used to search for all published papers. The results from the electronic databases were imported into a reference management program. Subsequently, the titles and abstracts of all studies were independently reviewed by the authors. Full texts of the remaining potentially relevant studies were then assessed to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria outlined below

After completing the screening process, eight studies were included in this systematic review, all of which were determined to be of good quality. The studies analyzed in this review consistently reported that congenital cataract surgery combined with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation led to significant improvements in visual acuity across all follow-up visits. Additionally, this surgical approach demonstrated a more favorable prognosis compared to other types of cataract surgeries mentioned in the reviewed studies. These findings highlight the effectiveness of IOL implantation in optimizing visual outcomes and long-term management in patients with congenital cataracts.

This systematic review provides strong evidence that congenital cataract surgery with IOL implantation leads to significant improvement in visual acuity at all follow-up visits and offers a better prognosis for congenital cataract patients compared to other surgical approaches.