RESUMO
PURPOSE: Study of different factors which can change the visual prognosis in congenital cataract. METHODS: One hundred seventy eyes of 100 children with congenital cataract are operated by extracapsular cataract extraction with limbic incision. Posterior rhexis and anterior vitrectomy were associated in children under 2 years. Implantation was used in 42%, contact lens in 8%. Other cases were corrected by glasses. The prognostic factors studied were: uni- or bilaterality, partial or complete aspect of cataract, age of apparition and management, and association with other malformations. RESULTS: Only 9 eyes out of 30 with unilateral congenital cataracts had visual acuity > or = 2/10; 44.4% of bilateral cataracts had visual acuity > or = 2/10; The best visual acuity was noted in progressive and partial cataract without associated malformations.