Outcomes of scleral-fixated intraocular-lens in children with idiopathic ectopia lentis

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to review the safety and stability of scleral-fixated intraocular lens (IOL) 2 years after implantation in children with idiopathic ectopia lentis (EL). METHODS: This retrospective case series enrolled children with EL managed between 2011 and 2015 at a tertiary eye hospital in the eastern of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected on age, gender, vision, isolated or syndromic pathology, intraoperative and postoperative complications, spherical equivalent refraction, and final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: The series included 18 eyes of 11 children with EL (6 males and 5 females). There were 7 bilateral and 4 unilateral cases. The median age was 3.5 years (25% quartile 1 year; range: 1–8 years). Preoperatively, fixation was absent in 3 eyes, 8 eyes were fixating but vision could not be recorded. In the remaining seven eyes, median distant visual acuity was 0.1 (25% quartile: 0.08). The median postoperative follow-up was 24 months (25% quartile, 7 months). Complications included two eyes with iris capture and one eye with lens subluxation requiring re-implantation. Postoperative BCVA was better than 20/60 in 15 (83%) eyes. At last follow-up, 6 eyes required myopic correction, 1 eye was emmetropic, and 11 eyes were hypermetropic. One eye with glaucoma was managed medically. CONCLUSION: Scleral fixated IOL in eyes of young children with EL had good visual outcomes and high stability. However, there is a high incidence of residual refractive error.