Axial length in eyes with bilateral pediatric cataract at tertiary eye care center in Nepal: a preliminary report.

The aim of the study was to determine the average axial length reading of the bilateral pediatric cataract undergoing cataract surgery. Pre-operative axial length measurement was done in 80 children below 15 years who had bilateral pediatric cataract. Axial length measurement was done in 56 fellow eyes. The axial length was measured under general anesthesia with the Accutome A-scan. The mean age was 69.7 months (SD=52.6), range from one month to 168 months. The mean axial length reading was 21.3 mm in operated eyes and 21.1 mm in fellow eyes. The range of axial length reading was 16.2 -31.5 mm in operated eyes and it was 16.5 -31.5 mm in fellow eyes. This short observation found that in bilateral pediatric cataract, the axial length value is similar in both operated and fellow eyes. Based on the axial length value of the operated eye, the patients with bilateral congenital cataract can undergo surgery in those eye hospitals where facilities of measurement of axial length is not available.