DR. DEBA PRATIM DAS

DR. DEEPANJAN GHOSH, DR. ANJANI AGARWALLA

Abstract

Children with Down syndrome have an increased risk of being born with cataract or developing cataract later in life. The frequency of early cataract in Down syndrome requiring surgery during childhood is rare. A 11 year male child presented with diminution of vision in B/E due to developmental cataract with down’s syndrome and associated cardiac diseases (VSD,TR,Atrial Enlargement) .VA was 6/60 (R/E) and 6/36 (L/E).

Due to his cardiac status it was risky to get him operated under GA . So, after a lot of counselling he was taken up for cataract surgery under LA and phacoemulsification (R/E) with fIOL implantation which was in itself a surgical challenge. VA on post op day 1 was found to be 6/18 in R/E. On follow up after 1 week VA was found to be 6/9 . This case highlights the role of periodic ophthalmic examination in Down syndrome since early childhood so that there is early detection of developmental cataract and timely surgery can be done leading to a better visual prognosis.