We evaluated the long-term surgical outcome and lens complications in children with persistent pupillary membrane following removal using vitreous scissors.
METHODS:
Patients diagnosed with persistent pupillary membranewho received surgical treatment from 1987 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The removal was performed using vitreous scissors after instillation of miotics. The minimum follow-up period after surgery was four years. Factors of age, sex, visual acuity, refractive errors, and complications during or after surgery were evaluated.
RESULTS:
A total of 32 eyes of 26 patients were included. The mean age at the initial visit was 22.6 ± 34.7 (range, 0.9 to 141.2) months, and the mean age at surgery was 43.7 ± 36.0 (range, 1.0 to 142.5) months. There were no intraoperative complications using vitreous scissors, and all lesions were completely removed. After a mean follow-up period of 6.5 ± 3.3 (range, 4.0 to 14.8) years, the best corrected visual acuity at the final visit was 0.6 ± 0.9 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, and two eyes (6.3%) presented with lens opacity during follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS:
In children with persistent pupillary membrane, there were no intraoperative complications, and only two patients presented with lens change during the long-term postoperative follow-up period. Surgical removal should be considered a safe and effective treatment for patients with visually significant persistent pupillary membrane.